Antithesis
by Pranktical Joker
Summary: "Friendship knows no bounds," some say. However, when the friends were of different social classes, would the adage still hold true? Would Trunks and Goten face ostracism for breaking the taboo, or revolutionise the system instead? AU fic.
1. Outside the Comfort Zone

_Pre-note: I made this one to refresh my mind and try to get around the writer's block in writing The Passage Not Seen. In fact, I might finish this one first before proceeding with the other one._

_About this story: This is an AU fic—as such, please kindly allow some degree of OOC-ness, although I try to keep it to minimum—in which every full-blooded human and human-Saiyan hybrids we know is a full-blooded Saiyan. For the sake of clarity and simplicity, canon names will be kept as they are. This fic also assumes that Saiyans won't transform into Great Apes under the full moon, are not limited to having black or brown hair, and are as emotionally expressive as us humans._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

A portion of the Saiyan Kingdom was in an extraordinarily jubilant mood today.

A custom had been established since days long gone, and it was that the King and Queen present their firstborn on his or her birthday. This would go on annually until he or she underwent a rite of initiation at the age of seventeen, after which he or she was considered an adult. Because of that, the gap from that seventeenth presentation until the next one was very long, since they would need to wait until the King and Queen's firstborn had an offspring of his or her own.

Living in an integrated city within a two-hundred-and-fifty-metre radius from the castle, high-class citizens, called Nobles, never failed to attend the Presentation Festival in the castle compound. On the other hand, low-class citizens, or Commoners as they had always been referred to as, could only wish they too had been invited to have a taste of the goodness the Nobles were privileged to enjoy. The social gap between the two classes was just like an impassable abyss separating heaven and hell and failed attempts of crossing over—from the less fortunate end, of course—weren't unheard of, especially in festivals such as this. There had been incidents in past festivals where Commoners tried to break their way into the city using approaches whose nature ranged from persuasive to forceful, and most of the forceful ones ended up in violent bloodshed.

In the framework of their community, it had been established that interactions between citizens of upper social stratum and Commoners were considered taboo; should this point of law be violated, punishment in the form of exclusion from society awaited both parties. Even members of the Royal Family weren't exempt, and there had been cases in the past in which Royals, Nobles, and Commoners were ostracised from society and sent away to a distant land for failing to adhere to this particularly strict rule. However, the Royals still needed to govern the people and maintain contact with them in order to keep the Kingdom intact—after all, their income came from the taxes the Commoners paid them—so they enlisted the help of a certain group of people to get the dirty jobs done.

The people in this group were referred to as the Praetorians and were originally Nobles or Commoners with enormous power levels. Together, they made up the combat strength of the Royal Saiyan Army, a band of warriors far superior to the lower-ranked Saiyan Army, but that was not all; upon these select people were bestowed the privilege to establish communications with both classes, and only through them or under their supervision was a cross-class interaction considered legal. However, this privilege didn't come for free, and the price Praetorians had to pay was to leave their loved ones and serve the Royals for the rest of their life. Because of that, Commoner-based Praetorians were often shunned by fellow Commoners for giving up their family and friends for easy money and a sumptuous lifestyle.

Alright, let's return to the here and now, shall we?

The reason why the Nobles were in such a joyous spirit was that today was the third birthday of the firstborn of the King and Queen, and a Presentation Festival was about to take place. The outer yard of the castle was now brimming with Nobles, tables of food and drinks had been set up, and it was only a few moments before the King and Queen showed themselves to address the crowd. From a good vantage point, countless Commoners could be seen gathering together beyond the city walls, hoping to at least catch a glimpse of the extravaganza. To prevent them from causing a scene, Praetorians had been deployed at possible break-in spots; they were ready to fend off even the most foolhardy of man. All in all, at the Queen's demands, this year's festival had been immaculately planned.

When the Nobles were conversing with one another in haughty glee, the sound of clarion blared majestically in the air. At once, just like a perfectly synchronised choreography, the people dropped whatever it was they were doing and focused their eyes on a balcony high above the ground where three figures could be seen; there stood a relatively short man, a very beautiful woman, and a toddler who was barely visible from down below. There they were, the Royal Family.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Your attention, please!" a hulking Praetorian exclaimed after he almost wasted all his breath trying to get everyone's attention with the clarion earlier, "The members of the Royal Family are now ready for their public address. Please tune your scouter frequency to 1,337 megahertz and kindly welcome King Vegeta, Queen Bulma, and Prince Trunks!"

A thundering roar of applause followed. At the sight of the multitude, the little Prince got very gleeful and started jumping up and down while clapping his hands and flailing his tail back and forth in pure joy. To let his son have a better view, the Queen scooped him up and he expressed his mirth by waving to the people. The King, however, didn't seem to share his wife and son's excitement; a frown could be seen gracing his face as he screened through all the Nobles below.

"Gah, those miserable vermins. Woman, you're taking it from here!" he scowled. Then, with a grunt, he turned around and went back into the royal chamber.

Yes, Vegeta had never been fond of being surrounded by people, much less by those of lower rank than him. Others might see such kinds of festivals as a time to gather together and have fun, but certainly that didn't apply to him. Trunks tilted his head to the left and his innocent cerulean eyes radiated confusion, but after his mother told him it was alright and that his father would be just fine, the usual smile formed again on his face in no time.

After the applause had subsided, Bulma began by passing a word of gratitude to the clarion man. "Thank you, Nappa," she said with a smile, which the bald Praetorian acknowledged by bowing. She then turned to the crowd and started addressing the Nobles through the scouter. "Good morning, my dear people! It surely is great seeing all of you here. I'm sure the King is happy too, and don't worry about him. He's just… uh, being himself right now, but he'll be with you to celebrate later on. I promise you, all of us will be having a great time today."

"You surely know the reason why we're gathered here today. Yes, today is the third birthday of my son, Trunks," she continued, eliciting another round of excited applause from the Nobles. Trunks got even more excited than before and this time he waved fervently with both arms. Once the people had calmed down, Bulma spoke again, "The previous year has been very pleasant to Trunks and us as well. He's grown into a very strong and handsome young child, and I'm sure he will someday in the future be a great warrior and king…"

As Bulma carried on with her speech, Trunks started to get more and more impatient of the wait. His scanned the landscape below with his eyes, and the sight of countless people outside the yonder city walls caught his attention. Last year he didn't notice them, but perhaps it was because he hadn't even been aware of himself, let alone his surroundings. Who were those people? What lay beyond the borders of the city?

Intent on finding out, the lilac-haired toddler leapt out of his mother's arms and approached a nearby aide who happened to be his caregiver as well. This person was his favourite Praetorian whom he respected as much as he did his parents.

"Yes, Prince Trunks?" said the dark-haired female upon noticing the little tyke who had been tugging at her cape for a while.

"Fasha, what behind wall?" asked Trunks with broken grammar.

"Do you mean what's behind the city walls, Your Highness?" Fasha inquired again just to make sure, and Trunks nodded in reply. The grownup thought for a while, trying to find the correct words to answer her Prince's question. "Well… let's just say there's nothing out there, only people you don't have to be concerned with."

"People? Trunks want see them!" said the little Prince. Three years of age was when children started getting curious over everything, and he was excited at the prospect of seeing new people other than his family and aides as well as exploring new grounds. "Trunks want go out and meet friends! Fun! Can Trunks go?"

Fasha was of course taken aback by Trunks's request. Although she could accompany him and ensure the legality of his excursion, she didn't want to get him into trouble. Those Commoners could sometimes be violent and bloodthirsty, and she knew it too well. "I… don't think it's a good idea, Your Highness. With all due respect, you can get hurt since you're still too young."

"Aww, please? Fasha strong, so Trunks okay!"

"I apologise, but I'm afraid I must insist on saying no."

"Pretty pleaseee?"

Somehow, the puppy face Trunks just made succeeded in melting Fasha's defences. She had always been a sucker for cutesy expressions and this time it proved to have worked against her. "Alright…" she said while making a mental note to overcome this particular weakness, "But I'll have to ask Her Majesty for permission, and we'll go only if she's fine with it. Okay?"

That was all the Praetorian needed to satisfy the longing of her curious Prince. He danced around the balcony in joy for getting one step closer in fulfilling his wish before returning inside to his chamber. Then, just seconds later, the loud sound of applause and cheers could again be heard in the air, signifying the end of the Queen's speech and the commencement of the Presentation Festival. Bulma took off her scouter, switched it off, and—escorted by Fasha—strolled toward the kitchen to treat herself a cup of tea before mingling with the Nobles downstairs.

Noticing this was the perfect opportunity to speak with Bulma before she was lost in the crowd, Fasha gathered her courage and voiced out her request on behalf of Trunks. "Requesting permission to speak, Your Majesty."

"How many times do I have to tell you to drop that formal behaviour when speaking with me?" asked Bulma with a smile. "You've been with us for a long time now and you're just like a second mother to Trunks, so try to be more casual and relaxed. By the way, permission granted."

The Praetorian first followed up with an apology. "I apologise—I mean, I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I think I'm already used to it," she said, gaining a giggle from Bulma. She then proceeded to voice out her request on behalf of Trunks. "Well, His Highness, Prince Trunks… he requested that I take him to the town to have a look around, if it's okay with you. I tried to reason with him that it's not preferable, but he was quite determined."

"I see…" Bulma nodded in understanding, "So he's finally made his decision, huh?"

"You mean he's been thinking about it for quite some time?"

"Yup. He's been asking me to go out since around a month ago, but I thought he wasn't ready yet."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about, Your Majesty. He's still too young, if you ask me."

"I understand your concern, Fasha," Bulma concurred. They were now in the kitchen; she gestured for her aide to take a seat and proceeded to prepare cups of chamomile tea and serve a plate of cookies. Then, she handed her one cup which she gratefully accepted. "I know about the Commoners and what they're capable of doing. Some of them are even stronger than the Nobles, perhaps almost on par with some of our Praetorians."

"Does that mean it's better for His Highness to stay?" asked Fasha between her sips.

"Well, yeah. It goes without saying… but today's his birthday and I think he deserves a gift from us," the Queen paused before continuing. It seemed she was now weighing the pros and cons of the alternatives, and after half a minute of thinking, she finally made her resolve. "… okay. If he really wants to go, let's just say I've granted my permission and you can leave any time you want. I know you'll do just fine in escorting Trunks around. After all, you're the second strongest Praetorian… but please be careful. I know I can always trust you."

Fasha was slightly surprised at Bulma's decision, but she nodded politely nonetheless. After all, her Queen had faith in her, and it was more than just a boost to her self-esteem. "Of course you can, Your Majesty," she said, but a look of concern again crossed her face, "Oh, and… I'm sorry for sounding rash, but what about the King? Will he give His Highness his permission?"

"Yeah, Vegeta never likes us to mingle with people… but don't worry about him," Bulma assured, "I'll have a word with him later. You just focus on taking care of Trunks, and have fun. Looks like you can also use some entertainment."

"Thanks, Your Majesty. I'll inform His Highness to prepare right away."

"Be back at noon so Trunks can have his lunch on time, okay?"

"Understood—I mean, we sure will."

The Praetorian then washed the now empty cups and plate and excused herself from the kitchen in gratitude. As she made her way to Trunks's chamber, her mind was bombarded with every possible scenario which might happen to the little Prince and herself; after all, this would be his first time visiting the town, a place brimming with Commoners of a wide spectrum of strength and personalities. Being the Queen's right-hand woman, it had been ages since she visited the town herself, but somehow she didn't feel as enthusiastic; truth be told, from deep within she could feel her conscience telling her that something was bound to get too crazy for her to handle. On top of everything, what if she met this particular person whose trust and friendship she had betrayed many, many years ago? What would she say if their paths happened to meet?

She had been so deep in her thoughts she didn't realise she was now standing before the door to Trunks's chamber. 'What am I thinking? I'm only escorting Prince Trunks, nothing more. Everything's going to be just fine,' she assured herself before straightening her mind. Then, ready to take her Prince out, she knocked on the door three times.

"Come in!" replied a cheerful voice from inside.

Fasha opened the door and saw Trunks sitting on his bed, playing with his handheld game console. When the tyke noticed her, he practically bounced off the bed and rushed toward her, anxious to know the result of his request. Of course, when she informed him his appeal had been approved, Trunks became even happier; he quickly threw his regal attire on the floor, opened his armoire, and changed into his casual clothes with Other-Worldly efficiency. Then, just like an unstoppable little ball of energy, he tugged at Fasha's cape, urging her to dart out of the room.

"W-wait, Prince Trunks! Isn't it better if you, uh… wear a more appropriate set of clothes?" asked Fasha, still dumbfounded at Trunks's choice of outfit. He was clad in green baggy shirt, purple shorts, and blue sneakers. Adding his lilac hair and brown tail into the equation, he looked like a giant walking tutti-frutti candy.

"Trunks no like!" the little Prince promptly retorted, "Clothes like you hot, make Trunks sweat! C'mon, Fasha!"

Being left with no other choice, the aide complied with her excited Prince's orders. She took him to the vehicle bay where a number of egg-shaped pods could be seen parked; since she was headed to a district laden with Commoners, one with extra security measures would be necessary, so she settled on a pod with another seat attached to its side. Fasha then had Trunks settle himself on the side seat, took the wheel, and pressed a green button. With that, a transparent protective shield closed around the pod—making it look like a bubble with two people trapped inside—and they took off through a small launch pad of some sort at the end of the bay.

When the pod flew over the outer yard, Trunks let out a very gleeful squeal. He could see so many people and as many things to eat and drink, but none of these was in his list of things to enjoy. He knew he was a Royal, which meant he could indulge himself with those any time with just a simple whine. But the things beyond the confines of the city, the things he was about to see and learn for the first time… those were the ones that he had been very excited about.

Even though Trunks and Fasha were travelling in a leisurely slow pace, a quarter of a kilometre wasn't exactly a considerable distance to cover even on foot, and in no time they found themselves outside the airspace of the city. At first Trunks was extremely thrilled for being this far away from home, but he got bored in no time since all they did was fly around in the air. In order to combat his ennui, Trunks insisted with his overly simplified grammar that they land and take the road so he could see what was happening more closely and clearly.

There was no stopping the stubborn little Prince from having everything his way, so Fasha did as he wanted. As their pod touched down on the road, Commoners started to flock around them from all directions; it was understandable, really, since visitation of Nobles, let alone Royals, to the town would take place only once in a blue moon. Not wanting Trunks to feel uncomfortable of the crowd, Fasha easily prompted the people to make way, which she did rather easily with just a wave of an arm.

On their way through the main road, Trunks seemed to be having trouble focusing his attention on a single event. The town was very busy, and when they arrived at the marketplace he saw more than he had bargained for; events took place so quickly, people darted from one stall to another very briskly, and those who didn't either just stood idly looking at him or were talking with others. Everything was very much unlike the slow, lazy life he had been accustomed to, and his brain still couldn't register how one could even hope to survive in the middle of this frenetic frenzy.

As they passed by a grassy field, Trunks could see some children older than him playing around with one another. He would like so much to stop and alight for a while to see what they were playing, but before he could tell Fasha to do so something—or, to be more specific, someone—caught his attention.

On a stone bench across the field was seated a little boy, possibly his age if not a couple of months younger, wearing dark green changshan with maroon sleeves and maroon trousers. Holding three sticks of ice candy with his hands and tail, this boy's gaze suddenly locked with Trunks's, and neither of them could turn away even as the pod continued to move forward. It wasn't until a good amount of space separated them that they finally broke their eye contact.

Just before turning around a bend at the end of the road, Trunks suddenly went all hyper. "Fasha! Back, back!"

"What's the matter, Your Highness?" asked the Praetorian, "Do you want me to turn back?"

Trunks nodded fervently in response, and although Fasha had no idea what could have caught his attention she complied and guided the pod back toward the direction of the marketplace. When they approached the field, she finally noticed what she had missed on their first pass and immediately regretted her decision to assent to Trunks's request to turn around.

The ice candy kid was still sitting on the bench. At the sight of him, Fasha's heart skipped a beat and a battalion of butterflies started fluttering violently inside her stomach. 'That can't be…' she said to herself, 'This boy… he's the spitting image of him! No, what are the chances?' She could only hope the kid wasn't the one who had attracted the Prince's attention.

Unfortunately for her, Trunks's next request proved her wrong. Pointing at the kid, he grinned in excitement, yanked at his aide's hand, and said, "Open window! Trunks want play! Boy look like friend!"

Now, Fasha had gotten herself in a quandary. She was torn between seeing her Prince happy and risking confronting an uncomfortable past she had tried so hard to bury deep inside her heart. The decision now lay in her hands; would she let the Commoner kid rend her heart as though there were no tomorrow by pressing the green button to lift the protective shield of the pod, or was she prepared to face a very disappointed and sad Trunks by stepping on the gas pedal?

It looked like her hunch had been correct all along. Things were going to get too crazy for her to handle.


	2. Spirited Away

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

"Boys, wake up!"

"No no no…"

"Mmm… later… lemme get… some more sleep…"

It was already seven in the morning, but these children under a particular Commoner's care were still blissfully adrift in their own la-la land. He couldn't take it anymore, though, and since he was going to do some major housework, he needed them away right now. With his shouts falling on deaf ears, he was left with no other choice but to wake them up with a weak energy blast to their head—a makeshift shock therapy, as he put it.

Obviously surprised, the children sprang up in unison. The elder kid rubbed the back of his head which was getting warm, while the toddler promptly bawled his eyes off with a loud voice which could wake up the entire neighbourhood had they been two hours earlier in time.

"Shh, it's okay, Goten," the big brother tried to pacify the crying child. He could still felt his scalp itch and twitch due to the blast, though. "Yeowch, gramps, did you really have to do that?"

"You can go back to sleep now if you want," said the grownup with a smirk.

"No, thanks… we're not tired," the boy said again with a pout while rubbing his brother's head to ease his discomfort.

"Good! Now get your backs up and moving. Take your brother out and shop for groceries while I clean the house, or else you'll be starving tonight."

"Fine, fine… c'mon, Goten," he got up from his bed. When he lifted the now mollified toddler and looked at him, he became alarmed at the sheer amount of water on his face. Not only he was brimming with tears, he also suffered from runny nose. "Ugh, look at you! That's gross! Let's wash up and get out before grandpa gets mad again."

As the boys made their way out of their bedroom, they could sense being eyed by their grandfather with a piercing gaze. Feeling rather intimidated, Goten buried his face in his brother's shirt, although they both knew underneath those seemingly unemotional and frigid eyes lay an unfathomable amount of love.

To reach the bathroom, they had to go through the living room which was beautifully furnished and had a very strong oriental feel to it. The grandfather and father of the boys were among the very strongest—somewhere in the top three per cent—of the townspeople, and although the house they had been living in wasn't exactly big, they had made quite a good fortune and were blessed with more than enough money from completing high-level missions to feed themselves and sustain their living. In other words, they were like Nobles among Commoners; be that as it may, there was no changing the fact that they had been, and always would be, Commoners. As such, they were considered unworthy to set foot beyond the city walls.

As the big brother drowsily passed by a small wooden end table with a picture frame and nicely arranged flowers, Goten suddenly sprang to life and leapt off his brother's shoulder. "Gohan no pway?" he asked.

The twelve-year-old didn't respond and continued walking toward the bathroom like a zombie, unaware that his little brother was no longer on his shoulder. It wasn't until Goten's third call that the words finally registered in his mind. Thankful of being reminded, he told the toddler to wait for a moment and went back to the table with the picture, closed his eyes, and allowed himself to be lost in the depths of tranquillity.

In the middle of his prayer, he took the frame and smiled at the man and woman in the picture although his eyes stung a bit. "Dad, mom… how are you today? I hope you're doing just fine," he whispered, "Today I'm gonna take Goten out for shopping, help grandpa do the housekeeping, and train hard with him after that. Continue watching over us, okay?"

* * *

Two and a half years ago, Son Gohan had been one very happy boy.

When he was ten years of age, he had his greatest wish at that time fulfilled, and it was to have a baby brother. Named Son Goten, he was born slightly smaller than most normal babies, but as time passed he grew into a very healthy kid with quite a ravenous appetite, just like his father. Everyone in the family was surprised when his hair started to grow, because it seemed as though he had somehow copied his grandfather and father's hairstyle: messy and spiky. All things considered, Goten had been a welcome addition to the family, and he was excessively spoiled especially by his brother, to whom he was very close. Everywhere Gohan went around the house, Goten could be seen crawling after him not far behind, and this sight was sure to melt even the coldest of hearts.

But Gohan's happiness didn't last long.

While celebrating Goten's first birthday, the father and mother—a lieutenant general and a skilled combat medic, respectively—were summoned by the marshal of the Saiyan Army, who entrusted them with a very heavy burden. Their mission: infiltrate the enemy's base and gather intelligence on their technology and strategy so that the marshal could pass the knowledge to the Royal Saiyan Army military engineers for research and development. Little did the family know, this was a mission Kakarot and Chichi wouldn't live and tell about.

Chichi was busy tending to an injured warrior she failed to pay attention to the warning message displayed on her scouter. It was only at the very last second did she finally realise the approaching danger, and as she turned around in alarm a thin file of laser-like beam struck her through the heart, killing her instantly on the spot.

When Kakarot learned about the loss of his beloved, he went into some kind of a primal rage and ordered his men to kill every single enemy warrior on sight while he charged recklessly into the base all by himself. It was a one-against-many battle of some sort, and he was mortally wounded in his break-in process; despite that, he managed to stay alive long enough to brutally slaughter every single one of the enemy warriors inside the base—including their commanders, who went by the name of Cooler and Frieza and weren't of the Saiyan race—completely disregarding their plea for mercy although it might have been crocodile tears.

Just moments later, when Kakarot's men finally made their way into the base, they found their general lying in a pool of his own blood, dead. There was nothing they could do but mourn the loss of a great warrior and his mate, a medic who had been very patiently and tenderly taking care of the wounded in countless battles. Although the mission was considered as accomplished since the men succeeded in fulfilling the objectives, nobody could deny the fact that it had been a pyrrhic victory.

Kakarot and Chichi's funeral was attended by fellow Saiyan Army warriors of various ranks as well as friends of the family. As their caskets were lowered into the ground, Gohan cried on his little brother's shoulder who seemed unaffected by the ordeal. Perhaps it wasn't that he was unaffected; Goten might still be too little to understand the heartrending seriousness of the situation, and he could only watch the scene in cluelessness with his huge onyx eyes. When the toddler let out a string of unintelligible words, Gohan noticed the "dada" and "mama" in his sentence and began to sob even more violently.

At this point, their grandfather thought perhaps it was better for him to leave and be a Praetorian. Although until now he had refrained to do so because of reasons such as family commitments and the presence of an estranged friend among the Praetorians, Bardock was well aware of his own strength and knew more than anyone else the chance of his admission was one hundred per cent. Since his son and daughter-in-law were no longer with him, getting over his past and join the royal force would probably be his best bet so as to prevent himself from being adrift in life without any purpose.

However, upon seeing his grandsons locked in a tearful embrace with each other, he quickly dismissed that idea. These children were just eleven and one, and for all intents and purposes still needed someone to take care of them. Yes, Gohan's cheerful demeanour—especially after Goten's birth—had always run contrary to his own cold, distant personality and could sometimes get into his nerves, but he was his own grandson whom he had grown very fond and proud of, although he rarely displayed his affection in an outward manner. And with Goten now here, everything just got even worse; every time Bardock saw his youngest grandson, he saw himself and his late son in his innocent, playful eyes. He could never hate either of these two boys even if the fate of the world depended on it, and the thought of leaving them all by themselves inflicted a feeling of great pain in his heart second only to that due to losing Kakarot and Chichi.

The decision was finally made. Bardock would take it upon himself to take care of, train, and protect his grandsons at all cost, but they had better be physically, mentally, and emotionally strong.

* * *

When Gohan was still in the middle of his prayer, Bardock came out of the boys' bedroom and his eyes caught a glimpse of Goten. Perceiving him to be lounging idly, he stood with arms crossed over the chest and said, "You're still here? You should be taking your—"

"Shh. Gohan pway," the little toddler interjected, his tiny palms covering his mouth and his tail pointing at his big brother. Realising he might have vitiated Gohan's moment of calm, he got embarrassed and mentally slapped himself hard; why couldn't he remember that his elder grandson would always start his day with a short prayer in memory of Kakarot and Chichi? Then, tugging at the adult's trousers, Goten asked, "Why Gohan pway?"

"You'll find out when you get older," replied Bardock with a whisper. Explaining it would be a waste of breath and time since Goten wouldn't understand just yet.

After a moment of quiet, Gohan was finally done with his prayer and kissed the picture before putting it back on the table. When he turned around, his grandfather promptly apologised—in his own way—for having interrupted him. The boy just brushed it aside, saying it wasn't a problem, and he proceeded to piggyback Goten and bring him to the bathroom for a good round of nice hot bath.

With the boys now out of the picture, Bardock got himself busy. Armed with duster, broom, and dust pan, he began to meticulously clean the premises starting from the room he was in now. The speed and efficiency at which he did it was legendary, and in less than fifteen minutes the living room had become immaculately clean. He proceeded to his own room, doing the same, and then Gohan and Goten's room, the kitchen and dining area, and finally the front porch. Now that the dust had been eliminated, it was time for some wiping and mopping, and these were the hard part.

When the brothers got out of the bathroom, all fresh and clean albeit with damp hair, Bardock was getting ready with his mop. Knowing full well what would happen if he were to allow his grandsons run around the house during his housekeeping period, he sent to change into better clothes and instructed them to go out for grocery shopping as soon as they could, after which he would start mopping the floor and wiping surfaces. Gohan and Goten did as said; they scurried into their room and got changed in record time before jumping out of the room and showed off their clothes to their grandfather.

"Ta-da!" exclaimed Gohan, "How do we look, gramps?"

Why Gohan asked that question was beyond Bardock. Truth be told, he saw no difference between those clothes and the ones they had worn yesterday; either that, or he had no sense in fashion at all, and it seemed the latter was the answer. Gohan was in simple white changshan with black trousers, his tail wrapped around his waist like a belt, and Goten donned similar attire except his top was green with maroon sleeves and his trousers were the same colour as the sleeves.

"You look the same as yesterday," Bardock shrugged.

"No! Colow no same! Today gween wed, yestewday blue puwple!" Goten cried with a visible pout on his face, "Yestewday Gohan blue black, today white black!"

"Whatever. Now go so I can clean the house!"

"Okay, okay… we're off. If you want me to buy something else, just gimme a call," said Gohan while fitting his blue scouter over the left eye, which Bardock acknowledged with a grunt, "But not too much, okay? I don't have enough limbs to carry too many plastic bags around."

With that, he scooped Goten and walked outside, leaving his grandfather all by himself in the house. Now seated on Gohan's shoulder, the little child tinkered around with his brother's scouter and expressed with his broken sentence his wish to have one of his own. The big brother laughed and said he didn't need one yet because there was no need for him to dive into an actual combat yet, but he promised nonetheless he would get him one of good quality when he reached five years of age. This promise exhilarated Goten so much, and Gohan was happy for giving his little brother something to look forward to.

"By the way, the Presentation Festival is today," Gohan spoke from the doorway, "You're not going to the walls?"

"Heh, no point on doing that. What can I see there but desperate people?" Bardock retorted.

"Dontcha wanna listen to the public address? 1,337 megahertz?"

"Not from this far away. Forget it, we'll never get to see them anyway."

"I guess. But if I had the chance, I really wanna see the Prince, too…" Gohan sighed dejectedly. Being a Commoner, however, he knew there was absolutely no chance for him of having this desire fulfilled, so he quickly shoved the thought of that little what-if scenario away and was quick to focus on what he had to do at present. "Well, see ya, gramps. We'll be back in a while."

"Gwandpa bye bye!" Goten waved enthusiastically.

And so off they went. Now that the boys were away for at least two hours, Bardock could finally commence his bane of chores. Contrary to his expertise in sweeping and dusting, he had always been a klutz when it came to mopping, and he could only hope there wouldn't be any puddle of water on the floor posing a slippery hazard to Gohan and Goten when they returned home.

* * *

It wasn't Goten's first trip to the marketplace, but the sight of the crowd never ceased to work to his utter astonishment.

He was greatly amazed when he saw lots of people everywhere, and the amazement was accentuated at the abundance of food. He was a hearty trencherman, just like the other members of his family, but somehow he had never been a big fan of vegetables and even the simple thought of those green, leafy menaces was enough to make him cringe in disgust. However, ever since Gohan started to get his hands and tail dirty in the kitchen, his hatred of vegetables was toned down rather considerably, perhaps thanks to his brother's efforts to make sure he had all the nutrition he needed for the sake of health and proper growth.

But the single thing which triggered the toddler's happiness all the time was the sight of Gohan shopping for raw food materials. For some reason, he always found it exciting to see his brother carry all those plastic bags, and the fact that Gohan always bought him a bag of snacks just never failed to get him even more hyper. But that was beside the point right now; he could think of nothing else but the cornucopia his big brother would present to him and his grandfather for today's lunch and dinner, and he started to salivate subconsciously.

Gohan saw Goten in this state and he mistook a trickle of drool running down from his mouth as a sign of hunger. He reached into the snacks bag, took three grape-flavoured ice candies, and handed them to the little tyke. "You want these, Goten?"

"Yay!" Goten jumped in joy. He somewhat rudely snatched the freezing cold confectioneries from Gohan's hand and with excellent coordination between his hands he opened the packaging in record time. "Thank you, Gohan! Goten like ice!"

More than anyone else, Gohan wanted to reprimand Goten for his lack of manners, but he had something else more important at hand. There were still a shipload of things to buy to satiate himself and two other bottomless stomachs later on, and he was still a couple plastic bags away from accomplishing his objective. He still needed an untold amount of meat, various vegetables, two dozens of eggs, a few kilograms of seafood, and an assortment of fruits. After that, he would need to add into the equation several boxes of milk and fruit juice Goten would surely demand for. Now he knew the ordeal his mother had to go through every time she was off for groceries.

The marketplace was getting more and more crowded by the second and people started to dart here and there, from stall to stall, like flies. Men and women alike were busy in their transaction and children and their friends ran around in excited glee. Gohan needed to multitask while exercising extra attention and caution, because Goten could be lost in the sea of crowds if he wasn't attentive.

Unfortunately, that was exactly what happened to the little brother. While blissfully enjoying his first stick of ice candy as though he had had no concern whatsoever of the world, a kid bringing a ball followed by some other children passed him by. Curious as to where they were headed to and what they were going to play, Goten decided to follow them in a covert manner, totally forgetting about Gohan and his bags of groceries.

Although the aisles and alleyways were crammed with people, the children navigated around the premises effortlessly thanks to their small figure, and the same could be said for Goten. He was led by them to a grassy open space just beside the marketplace complex; they promptly positioned themselves more arbitrarily than strategically across the field and started passing the ball around using only their feet. As much as he wanted to join the highly competitive game, he knew the others would just laugh at him if he asked, and on top of everything, he wasn't big enough to even form words properly. With that in mind, he seated himself on the stone bench across the street and watched as the football game progressed while continuing to enjoy his ice candy.

Ten minutes into the game, he could see a double pod approaching from yonder. As it drew closer to his position, he could see the passengers; there was an adult woman wearing a green scouter behind the wheel, and to her left was a little boy with lilac-coloured hair, possibly his age if not a couple of months older, in a green shirt. From inside the pod, this boy's gaze suddenly locked with Goten's, and neither of them could turn away even as the pod continued to move forward. It wasn't until a good amount of space separated them that they finally broke their eye contact.

Goten had always been a shy boy and he had never been fond of meeting new people. Whenever he was introduced to a stranger, such as the friends of his brother, he would always cower in fear and take refuge behind anyone he knew who happened to be around. That being said, for some reason this time he didn't feel that way; he was actually looking forward to meet the pod kid and deep down inside he wished extremely hard for him to turn back. Why that was so, it was beyond him.

Very much to his excitement, his wish didn't fall on deaf ears. Not more than three minutes later, that same pod approached him again from the direction to which it had taken off and stopped before him. Although the female had a somewhat apprehensive look on her face, Goten could see the toddler inside the pod grinning from ear to ear while pointing at him and yanking at his attendant's hand. Somehow he knew the kid had also been looking forward to meet and play together with him, and all he needed to do before having his desire fulfilled was wait for the protective shield of the pod to be lifted.

It seemed Goten was going to have a new playmate with whom he would kindle a brilliant flame of friendship.

* * *

_Post-note: To answer a question from a reviewer, Bulma is a Saiyan. Unless otherwise stated, as in the case of Cooler and Frieza, every character we see here is a Saiyan._


	3. An Unlikely Friendship

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

"Here you go, kiddo. Seven kilograms," said a hulking butcher to Gohan after weighing a succulent-looking, mouth-watering pile of meat. He kind of felt sorry seeing him having his hands and tail full with plastic bags, and why such a young boy had to do all the shopping like this was beyond him. "That'd be seven point eight grand, but let me tell you something. For a family of four this won't even make a dinner."

"Well, there are only three people in back home," Gohan just shrugged and handed sixteen fifty-zeni notes. How that many notes could fit inside his wallet, he didn't know, but one thing he did know was that it had been too thick to fold and put into his pocket.

Hearing him, the balding man raised his eyebrows, but in understanding instead of confusion. "I see. You're the only child, huh?" he said while counting the amount of money before handing Gohan two ten-zeni notes, "Kids could be spoiled nowadays, but you sure are something. Your parents must be so proud."

The twelve-year-old smiled weakly. Those words reminded him so much of his mother and he could feel a pang of grief gnawing deep within. Trying his best to mask his sadness, Gohan said, "I'm, uh… living with my baby brother and grandfather. My father was Kakarot."

"K-kakarot?" the butcher gasped, "Lieutenant General Kakarot of the Army?"

When Gohan responded with a nod, a spark of embarrassment was visible in his eyes. He knew he had been so rude by reminding this boy of his late parents, so he fervently apologised. Gohan, just brushed it aside as though nothing had happened, and besides it wasn't his fault that he didn't know.

"So that makes you Bardock's grandson," said the man.

"Yeah, he's been taking care of us since dad and mom passed away. You know him?"

"We were in the same squad during our time in the Army. The name's Borgos. Nice to meet you, uh…" he paused, not sure what to address Gohan as. The boy chuckled, and when he replied with his name, they shook hands; despite being slightly aged, Borgos's handshake was firm and certain, an unmistakable indication that he had indeed been a warrior. "Right, Gohan. No wonder I can see some Bardock in you. How's he doing?"

"He's great! But you know, you should see my brother. He looks almost exactly like gramps. He's just over—"

When Gohan turned around, Goten was nowhere to be seen and he got visibly distressed. Getting lost in a marketplace chock-a-block full of people wasn't exactly a good thing especially when the subject was just a little toddler, so he brought his scouter to life to locate him. He finally did, and how surprised he was upon learning that Goten had somehow managed to get far away from him. He didn't seem to be in trouble, though, since the scouter showed someone else with very low power level around him. He must have met someone his own age and been playing around with him, but Gohan knew he had to act fast and fetch him before something he didn't even want to think about happen. Besides, Goten was a very timid kid, and he didn't want to find him crying for being bullied around.

Gohan prepared to leave the stall to get his brother. Before he could leave, however, Borgos threw in three large packs of sausages for free. At first, the young Saiyan politely refused, but the grownup insisted and said he deserved being rewarded for being such a strong boy for someone his age. Gohan produced a happy grin, thanked Borgos, and politely excused himself from the butcher stall.

"Okay, then. You better hurry and get him, because it's really getting crowded now," said Borgos, "I'd like to talk a little bit longer with you, but it seems you've created quite a traffic jam."

Gohan again turned around and saw what Borgos meant. He was so engrossed in a conversation with his grandfather's former comrade he didn't realise having created a bottleneck. Unbeknownst to him, people had started to queue behind them, all itching to get their hands on the staple food of the Saiyans. The boy could only let out a nervous laugh, and to prevent Borgos from displaying a strip of meat labelled 'Gohan', he decided to quit his job as a roadblock, stepped aside, and apologised to the next customer in line.

"Tell your gramps I said hello. Man, it's been so long."

"I sure will! Thanks, Borgos!"

"Careful, now! Come visit again!"

With that, Gohan gave the thumbs up and darted through the ocean of people in an attempt to get to Goten's location. He cursed himself for having been too engrossed in his grocery shopping and neglected his brother. He checked his scouter again; it wasn't in the slightest bit difficult to find Goten despite the multitude, since his power level must be the lowest among them all. However, this time he noticed something he didn't before, and it was the presence of a skyrocketing power level near the two kids' current position. Now distressed since something unpleasant might well happen if he didn't act fast, he rushed toward Goten as fast as he could.

The scouter brought him out of the marketplace area and to a grassy field just next door, a place where children usually played with one another while waiting for their parents to finish shopping. Goten wasn't on the field, but when he turned and looked across the street he saw him. Seated beside him was another toddler wearing a green shirt and purple shorts, and one couldn't possibly miss the seemingly unnatural whitish purple hue of his hair. Goten and this boy seemed to be locked in an exciting exchange with each other, and he could see his brother sharing one of his ice candies to his newfound friend.

But then he was reminded of the huge power level indicated by the scouter earlier on. It turned out to be coming from an adult woman clad whose appearance was very elegant; she was clad in a white suit of armour with shoulder pads, a light blue long skirt, and a cape. In a glimpse, it seemed she was wearing a dress. Gohan knew he had seen a man wearing similar attire while watching a news report on the television, but it was when he was very little. What he could remember was that he wasn't of the Commoner rank.

That was when everything registered in Gohan's mind. If this woman was a Noble and she started interacting with Goten, that would be the end of all things for him, although why she was out here all by herself was something he couldn't quite comprehend. "Goten! Goten, hey, let's go!" he cried while frantically running toward his brother, unheeding of the fragile eggs in one of his grocery bags.

Seeing his brother, Goten's face radiated an untold amount of happiness. He produced a wide, innocent grin and excitedly informed the boy beside him that his big brother had come to play together, earning a surprised look from the woman. Gohan finally got to Goten, and oblivious to his worry and anxiety, the toddler introduced his brother to his new playmate.

"Gohan! Twunks!" he exclaimed while pointing at the other kid.

Hearing him, Gohan felt like being struck by lightning. He knew Goten still spoke with a lazy tongue and sometimes it was difficult to understand the meaning behind his words, but he knew he just said the name of the other boy. Gohan did a double take and asked his brother to repeat his words, hoping he had heard it wrong.

"Twunks! Fwiend!" said Goten again, now with a slight hint of confusion daubed on his face.

He didn't hear it wrong. According to Goten, his friend went by the name of Trunks. He became even more distressed by this revelation, since he only knew of one and only one Trunks…

… the Prince. More than just a Noble. A member of the Royal Family.

Gohan prevented Goten from saying another 'Twunks' by placing his hands on his mouth, and he could feel his thoughts run haywire. What would the Prince be doing in this place all by himself? Why did he wear such casual clothes? Even Gohan's and Goten's outfits were more pleasing to the eye than Trunks's. But most importantly, how did he leave the city, or the castle grounds for that matter? Wasn't he afraid of the repercussions of his actions, and did he even think about the people he interacted with? Those questions bombarded Gohan's mind as though there were no tomorrow, and before he, Goten, and the Prince were convicted of illegal interaction, he grabbed his brother by the hand and urged him to go quickly, much to the little Prince's disappointment.

Seeing Gohan's agitation and as though having read his mind, the woman spoke, "This interaction is legal. I'm a Praetorian."

Gohan stopped upon hearing her words and looked at her incredulously. The dark-haired woman nodded with a dignified manner to assure him, introduced herself as Fasha, and he realised he was being rude by staring like that. He quickly apologised and got embarrassed of himself for having jumped into conclusions; it was impossible that the Prince was out in town without an escort. He just turned three, and unless he could pull of a teleportation of some sort, he wouldn't be able to go anywhere beyond the castle baileys, let alone the city walls.

Now slightly relaxed, Gohan let go of his grip on Goten's hand. The little brother quickly returned to the bench and settled down beside Trunks. Deciding to let Goten enjoy the moment just a little while, Gohan let go of all the plastic bags from his hands and tail, gave a sigh as he sat by his brother's side, and started to arrange the ice packs on one of his bags to prevent the meat from spoiling before he reached home. When he was done with it, his was reminded of his wish earlier this morning—about how he had so wanted to meet the Prince—and he almost couldn't believe it had actually been realised.

The Commoner kid and the little Royal seemed to be having a wonderful time with each other despite being worlds apart. Somehow, they had managed to gain each other's trust in a very short period of time, which was extraordinary considering the younger toddler's almost abnormal shyness. After some moments of playing nice, Trunks somehow decided to be naughty and jabbed Goten's cheek with his ice candy, a sight which trigerred Fasha's chagrin and Gohan's panic and annoyance. He was expecting his little brother to start sobbing and crying, but he didn't; instead, he giggled at the cold and retaliated by bringing his own ice candy to Trunks's neck, eliciting a laugh from the Prince. The next second, Goten and Trunks were happily rolling on the grass, trying to overpower each other. It took Fasha and Gohan's combined effort to separate them, and after being reprimanded by their respective caregivers they finally calmed down, albeit looking slightly dejected.

Gohan thought it was now time to go, otherwise there would be no one to prepare the ingredients for lunch. He knew he couldn't count on his grandfather to do so; the last time Bardock tried to cook, he set the entire stove on fire, necessitating the purchase of a new one. Besides, the Prince must have been out in town for a reason, and he didn't want Goten to hold him back. However, when he told Goten they had to return home, he pouted and begged for more time. Gohan tried in vain to reason with him, but he kept begging and begging, and it started getting annoying.

"C'mon, Goten. Don't act like this in front of the Prince," Gohan growled, almost losing his patience.

"Goten play! Goten plaaaaay! Uh… waaaaaahhhh!"

Rather than delivering him from embarrassment of unholy proportions, his attempt succeeded in doing exactly the opposite. When Goten started to throw a tantrum like this, it wasn't going to stop unless something was done, and that usually meant complying with his desire. Taking him away by force was another option, but he didn't want to give a bad impression on the Prince and his escort. Again, he cursed himself for having let things turn this way by not paying attention to Goten on the marketplace, and now he had to deal with a Praetorian for the first time.

"Uh, excuse me, um… ma'am," Gohan spoke with soft voice, trying his best to sound as polite as possible, "My little brother still wants to… uh, play with the Prince. Is that… okay?"

Fasha, who had actually been anxious to leave, looked at the Trunks. After all, she couldn't make a decision as she pleased since she would get into trouble if the Prince disapproved of it, so she knelt to consult the lilac head, "The decision is yours, Your Highness. Do you still want to spend time here, or are we done?"

"Trunks want play with Goten. Goten nice friend!" came the excited reply.

There was no saying 'no' to Trunks's desire, and Fasha lifted her head to meet Gohan's gaze. For some reason, there was something in his eyes which triggered the manifestation of an image of a man in her mind. She promptly brushed it away, and although there was an unpleasant feeling gnawing from within, said to him, "It's okay. But we'll have to leave before noon."

Before Gohan even gave the green light, Goten dashed away from his big brother, joined Trunks who smiled in complete satisfaction, and darted across the road to the field. In an instant, all traces of sadness were gone from his face, and it finally occurred to Gohan that he had fallen right into the toddler's trap: fake tears. He sighed in defeat as he saw the blissful kids running around playing tag; although he didn't want to do it, he needed to scold Goten later in hopes of teaching him a thing or two about manners and integrity.

Fasha took a seat just beside Gohan, but minutes passed with neither of them speaking a word. The silence was uncomfortable for both parties, since the young boy didn't know how to act properly in front of someone of much higher rank, while the lady was unwilling to initiate a conversation thanks to the uneasiness she had been experiencing ever since she set her eyes on the toddler the Prince had grown very close to. Gohan took the time to pass a huge pack of marshmallows to Goten, which he received with a radiant smile and quickly shared with Trunks.

Seeing his action, Fasha couldn't help cracking a small smile and finally spoke, despite herself. "You're very kind. Your baby brother must like you very much."

"Thanks, ma'am," said Gohan as he seated himself on the stone bench.

"You're welcome, but I believe I only know the name of your brother, Goten. Do you mind introducing yourself, son?" asked Fasha.

"No, not at all. My name's Son Gohan. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," he said with a smile and they shook hands. Even though she was a member of the Royal Army, Fasha's handshake was very gentle and almost motherly. Also, at the sight of her sharp but tender gaze reminded Gohan very much of Chichi, and he couldn't prevent a drop of tear from escaping his own onyx eyes.

Fasha noticed this and asked out of concern, "You seem sad. Is something the matter?"

"Huh? N-no, I'm fine," Gohan wiped the teardrop on his cheek, "It's just… I suddenly remembered my mother."

Although he needed to gather a large amount of courage to do so, the boy then proceeded to tell the story of how he got orphaned. It wasn't exactly the best topic to talk about in a first meeting, but at least it was better than having nothing to say and getting locked in an uncomfortable silence again. Unlike when he talked with Borgos not more than half an hour ago, this time he didn't make any mention of his parents' name or Bardock's to conceal his somewhat notable status among Commoners. To tell the truth, Gohan felt rather uncomfortable if people started to refer to him as the son of the celebrated warriors Kakarot and Chichi; he preferred to keep a low profile and couldn't be more thankful that they had been living on the rural areas quite a distance away from the busy town.

Fasha expressed her condolences and said she was sorry that something that terrible had to befall him at such a young age, but Gohan was a strong boy. In fact, he always hoped that someday he could get strong enough to join the Army and follow his parents' footsteps to fight for the good of people. This resolve struck Fasha not only as admirable, but also noble; she also noted how this certain person she knew also possessed such determination. Again reminded of him upon meeting gazes with Gohan's huge eyes, she stooped her head and fell silent once again. However, at the same time, she needed to know if this boy was in any way related to him, and if her suspicion was correct, perhaps it would explain why she had been waiting for an opportunity to get close to Goten and treat him just like she did Trunks. This she considered a way to apologise to the man who had been haunting her mind.

Before she could speak a word, however, Gohan preceded her. "Oh, look. I think the Prince and Goten are already tired," he said.

When Fasha looked ahead she saw the two children seated on the grass, sweating and panting heavily. It looked like they had finally had enough playing and could really use a moment of rest. She pardoned herself for a while to get Trunks and Goten and returned with the very tired, but very satisfied, kids draped on her shoulders.

Seeing his brother being carried by the Praetorian, Gohan got very embarrassed. What had he done to deserve such treatment? "Ma'am, please, don't trouble yourself! I can get Goten by myself, you don't have to do that!"

"You're right. I didn't have to do this," she replied as she seated Trunks and Goten gently on the bench and wiped their perspiration with a clean cloth, "But I wanted to, so just take it easy, Gohan."

Gohan was eternally grateful of the act of kindness Fasha had done for them. Since Goten was now exhausted, he decided it was time to go and there was no further delaying it, so he politely excused himself and his brother from there and expressed his gratitude. "Also… I'm really sorry if we're holding you back in fulfilling the purpose of your visit," he added.

"No, it's alright, really," the Praetorian shrugged. Gohan didn't know that very purpose had actually been accomplished through their meeting, and it was for Trunks to meet new people and make friends. "His Highness is happy, and I think he's seen your brother as a very good friend. That means, by extension, you're his friend, too."

"U-us? His friend? But… we don't deserve it, ma'am!" exclaimed Gohan, "We're just Commoners, while you're living in the castle. We're nothing but ordinary people."

"Friendship knows no bounds, son," Fasha smiled in reply.

Then, as though affirming Fasha's words, Goten initiated a light conversation with his newfound friend. "Fwiends?"

"Friends. Goten Trunks friends," said Trunks.

"Meet again?"

Trunks put his index finger on his chin indicating he was thinking, wobbled his head left and right repeatedly, and finally replied, "Trunks ask mom. Mom okay, Trunks meet Goten."

Goten started jumping up and down in excitement at the prospect of meeting Trunks again. He was just a child and had no idea how fortunate he was to not only engage in a legal interaction with the Prince himself, but also meet him again in perhaps the near future. To strengthen their ties of friendship and confirm that Trunks really meant the promise he had made earlier, they entwined their pinkies in an affirmed manner and produced a wide grin.

When the finally let go, Goten said in joyful merriment, "Thanks, Twunks! Thanks, Fasha!"

"Goten, that's not polite! You can't call them like that," Gohan reprimanded the toddler for again being rude, "C'mon, tell them you're sorry."

"Why?" came the most fundamental word in Goten's roster of questions, or in any child's for that matter.

"You have to call them 'Your Highness' and 'ma'am'. They're from the castle."

"Why?"

"You have to respect them."

"Why?"

Fasha was amused at Goten's endless string of 'why's and she just could resist giggling at his innocence. "That's fine, Gohan. I don't mind, and you don't have to call me that way, too. Besides, he's just a little kid."

"Yeah! Trunks call Goten, Goten call Trunks," Trunks added, concurring to his aide.

Gohan was shocked beyond belief. This was a Royal Family member speaking, and he wasn't dreaming. At first he could only wish to believe Fasha when she said friendship knew no bounds, but now the evidence had been spread on the table for him to behold. It was true that they had only met today, but Goten and Trunks had exhibited a very good start in kindling their friendship. If they really were going to keep their promise of seeing each other again, which was more than likely considering they had sealed it by pinkie swearing, Gohan could well be witnessing the writing of history: Goten was the first Commoner to have a Royal best friend. He was somewhat jealous of him for that, although to say he was happy that such an enviable prerogative had been bestowed upon his little brother was an understatement.

Then, the time had finally come for them to part ways. Expressing a great deal of gratitude, Gohan once again asked for permission to be excused, which Fasha and Trunks granted. The lady even offered to help him with his groceries, but he politely refused and told her she didn't need to trouble herself again since one, he was getting used to it, and two, his house is quite a distance away from the marketplace. When asked how he would take Goten along with him, Gohan replied by demonstrating his preferred method of transporting his brother around, and it was by piggybacking him. Fasha expressed admiration at how he seemed to be willing to sacrifice himself for his little brother; she had never seen such a loving brother before. Perhaps it was the most natural thing to do for Gohan, though, since he needed to be there for Goten as both a father figure and a brother at the same time.

However, when Gohan was just seconds to departure, Fasha stopped him. Although there was a chance for them to meet again, she decided to confirm what she had had in mind right here, right now. "By the way, do you mind if I ask you something before you leave?"

"Of course I don't," said Gohan while passing the bag of snacks to Goten for him to carry. He then heaved all those plastic bags in one go with his hands and tail.

She slightly hesitated, but finally rallied her courage and pressed on. "Do you happen to know a man named Bardock?"

"Bardock? I do, ma'am," he replied. In his mind, he was wondering why everybody was asking about him today, and hopefully it wasn't because he had done anything foolish.

"I know him, too…" she said again. Her words stirred a feeling of uneasiness inside Gohan. "Your brother looks just like him. Tell me, you're related to him, aren't you?"

Gohan gulped. So much for trying to conceal his identity, she knew it all along. Everyone who knew his grandfather must also know, or at least know of, his father. He could try to lie, but considering Fasha's status as a Praetorian, she could easily gather intelligence regarding this matter and find out anyway. For all intents and purposes, he somehow had gotten himself in a no-win situation and could only nod weakly while hoping fervently nothing undesirable was going to happen.

"… yes. He's my grandfather."


	4. Points of Intersection

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT / It's a Small World._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

On their way back to the castle, Fasha couldn't brush aside the thought of Bardock.

It had been revealed to her that Goten and Gohan were indeed directly related to him. Everything was surely getting crazier to handle, all thanks to her Prince's seemingly insignificant request to go out of the castle and visit the town to have a look around. Who knew this day was going to be such a fateful day for her?

It was true it had been ages since Fasha left town to embark on a new journey of life, but that didn't mean she had forgotten about her old comrade. In fact, she couldn't forget if she wanted to; the look she had gotten from him when she broke the news had been etched into her mind, refusing to go away and always homing back every time she tried to shove it away. It wasn't his fault that she now had her thoughts juggled like this, since she was the one who had betrayed their trust and friendship in the first place by leaving him.

When Gohan was born, Bardock resigned from the Army to focus more on his family, leaving his band of elite soldiers without a leader. His second-in-command, Tora, totally understood his motives and quickly took over the vacant seat, and although they were still capable of accomplishing high-level missions, things weren't the same without de facto leader. The fighting spirit not there anymore, the group was disbanded, much to the chagrin of their comrades in the Army, and the remaining members—Tora, Fasha, Shugesh, and Borgos—went their separate ways.

This occurred to Fasha as shocking, and because she still wanted to channel her love for battle as a warrior, she went to meet Bardock and suggested that they be Praetorians. Of course the man turned down the offer; his family was the reason why he had quitted the Army, and as long as they were alive, there was no changing his mind. Besides, the thought of leaving his son, daughter-in-law, and grandson pained him more than anything else. Despite that, he didn't fail to state that he would always cherish the friendship they had fostered since meeting each other for the first time, a friendship which had survived the test of time.

However, she was stubborn. Perhaps somewhat envious for her friend's possession of a family and out of fear of drifting aimlessly in the sea of life, she decided to just go ahead by herself, but not without informing the man. When she did, it went without saying that Bardock exploded in a fit of rage since by becoming a Praetorian she would need to leave her friends and, if she still had one, family behind. He started lecturing her about integrity and asked again and again whether or not their friendship was actually only superficial. On her part, too, it wasn't an easy decision to make, but she was headstrong. Yes, she felt really terrible for doing that, but she didn't want to spend her life doing absolutely nothing; traversing the path of warrior had always been her passion, and rather than returning to the Army and repeat the same thing again, she raised the stakes by joining the Royal Army as a Praetorian with little to no chance of reconsidering her decision. As a result, on that unforgettable night, Bardock and Fasha's friendship could be considered terminated.

But now, here she was. Although Fasha didn't believe in something people so fondly referred to as 'fate', she didn't think her meeting with Gohan and Goten was purely by chance. An entity of higher authority—the Supreme Kai, as it were—must have worked through Trunks and deliberately put her into this situation. This chain of events might have reminded her of the horrible action of disloyalty she had done in the past, but what if there were more to it? What if someone actually wished for her to apologise and rekindle her friendship with Bardock? Her guess was as good as anyone else's, of course, but there was only one way to find out. Realising there was no way out of this test but to get over it, she decided to try to overcome her worries and face everything with head held high. The question still remained, though: was she ready?

"Fasha why?"

The Praetorian's train of thought was broken by a concerned voice from beside her. She must have dived too deep down within while taking control of the wheel. Although they were in air and in no danger of collision, not paying attention to the surroundings was something a driver must never do. Knowing full well her lack of attention might have brought unwanted and totally unnecessary misfortune upon them, she made a mental note never to do that again.

"I'm fine, Your Highness. Please don't concern yourself about me," she replied by forcing a smile.

"Fasha no okay. Sad?"

She wasn't exactly sad, only confused as to what to do. That being said, the Prince was being extraordinarily observant for someone his age. "It's alright, really. That friend of yours, Goten… he—"

"Goten make Fasha sad? Goten no good?" the toddler interjected.

"No, it's not that! He's a very good boy, and he didn't do anything wrong, Your Highness. It's just…" she paused for a while before continuing, "… it's just he reminds me of someone."

Trunks was still too little to understand the emotional turmoil Fasha was undergoing right now, so he decided to say nothing. The rest of their journey back home was filled with nothing but silence, which Fasha admitted was rather uncomfortable since she was used to her Prince spewing out absolutely each and every word he knew whenever she was trusted to take care of him. She felt bad, too, since she had dragged the poor child into what was supposed to be her problem.

After just a few minutes, they finally reached the castle. The festival was still on although many people had left, and those who stayed were the most audacious of gourmands who still fought for food despite being either too stuffed to move or too inebriated to even stand still. With an untidy collection of litters lying about, the garden was a mess and would need a major cleaning right after the last person left; not wanting Trunks to see the unpleasant sight, the grownup directed the pod straight to the vehicle bay and parked it there.

They alighted and strolled to the direction of the dining hall since it was nearing lunch time, but first Trunks had to change back into his princely clothes which he so despised. On their way to his chamber, Fasha decided to break the silence by baiting her Prince into some kind of a case study. Although she knew there was little chance of him understanding it, she really wanted to know his take on such an event; after all, people always said a kid's response to a situation was candid because they had yet to learn how to mask their feelings.

With that in mind, Fasha began. "Your Highness, may I ask you something?"

"Uh-huh," replied Trunks with a nod.

"I'm not quite sure how to put it into words, but I'll try my best so you can understand. So, you said you want to be Goten's best friend," she said, again gaining a nod—this time more fervent—from the little Prince, "Now… suppose we, Saiyans, are not segregated by class, and you and Goten are best friends as well as comrades in the Army. But then, something happens. Let's just say… he decides to quit the Army to take care of his family, while you still want to fight alongside him. What will you do, Your Highness?" she asked and paused for a while before carrying on, "Will you support his decision and continue to be his friend, or leave him?"

At this point Trunks was walking forward with an empty gaze, not unlike a zombie. He felt like his brain was overloaded with information and what-ifs, and honestly, he didn't know what answer he should provide. "Trunks no understand…"

"Oh, I see… my apologies, Your Highness. I shouldn't have dragged you into such a problem."

"No! Trunks sorry no help Fasha."

Again, silence followed. Fasha obtained what she had wanted, though; she was seeking a candid response, and it was indeed a candid response she got, albeit a disappointing one. No one could blame him, though, because Trunks was too little to understand the problems in life and being a spoiled Prince, he hadn't even experienced any of them. Feeling rather dejected, Fasha waited outside Trunks's chamber as he changed into his regal attire, and when he was done, they promptly headed to the dining hall.

However, to her surprise, Trunks actually followed up with another response as though he had been pondering about it for a while. He was speaking with broken grammar as usual, but the meaning it conveyed was more than clear: in this case, Goten truly was his best friend, so he would support each and every decision he made as long as he was happy and it was for a good cause.

Even a child thought so. Hearing the toddler, Fasha could feel as though a peg were driven straight to her heart. Trunks's suggestion was the polar opposite of what she had done to Bardock years ago, and now she felt terrible.

When they finally approached the dining room, she asked him once again right before he entered, "Your Highness, if you've chosen to leave him instead, what would you do next?"

"Trunks tell Goten sorry!" came the very carefree and cheerful reply, "Friends understand and no angry. Trunks know Goten forgive."

With that, Trunks opened the rather large door and proceeded to enjoy his lunch with the King and Queen, leaving the speechless lady behind. As she walked back to the break room to have her modest lunch with her fellow Praetorians, she couldn't stop pondering about everything that had happened today and the fact that perhaps a feasible solution had been presented to her through Trunks, especially with his last words. Actually, the answer was really very obvious and even a mere child was able to tell; who didn't know the most natural thing to do upon realising your mistake was to apologise? That was the candid answer she had been baiting out of Trunks.

However, along with a new answer arose new questions. One, did she have the guts to apologise to Bardock? Two, would he forgive her? And finally, three, had she forgiven herself for what she had done? For the final question, she needed to be sure the answer was 'yes', because if she hadn't, she wouldn't be freed from her chains of guilt even if Bardock forgave her.

As for the former two, only time could answer.

* * *

"Okay, Goten. Sit here beside me."

"Gohan angwy?"

"Just sit."

Every time Gohan asked him to sit on the couch to talk, Goten knew he was in for a trouble. Gohan didn't want to do this either since he wasn't too fond of scolding people, but at times his little brother could be such an uncontrollable kid and he didn't want him to grow into someone who scored an F for manners. Because of that, he had to regularly remind him of what he had done wrong, although if possible he would avoid grilling him too much.

"Goten, you know why I wanna talk to you?" Gohan started the conversation with his question.

The little brother showed signs of fear and apprehension and only looked at the floor as though it had been the most interesting thing in the world. After a ten-second moment of silence, he finally replied weakly, "… Goten naughty."

Gohan was tempted to say he had been more than just naughty and that he might have run into a great deal of trouble, but refrained. He needed to tackle this issue seriously so as to let Goten know it wasn't something to be taken lightly, but at the same time gently since he was still a little kid who still had trouble distinguishing between good and bad, or safe and dangerous.

"Look at me, Goten," he said, but the little toddler didn't budge or bother. Only after a few more urgings did he finally lock gazes with his brother. "There are four things I wanna talk about. Let's take a look at them one-by-one from the least serious one, okay?"

Goten nodded weakly and Gohan started to carefully word his sentences. He listened as his brother first spoke about how he had being rude when receiving the ice candies from him, went to how embarrassing it was to nag and cry in front of the Prince, moved on to how he shouldn't have called someone of higher rank by his or her name, and finally touched on the issue regarding his little escape from Gohan's watch. Gohan placed extra emphasis on this last one, because Goten needed to know what danger he could have brought upon himself. He even went as far as telling him he was very lucky to have met the Prince and the Praetorian so that his safety was in a way guaranteed; otherwise, everything could well have taken an ugly turn of events through a number of possible scenarios he didn't even want to think about.

However, at the end of his lengthy string of lecture, Gohan felt it was unfair to bombard Goten with his salvo of words, which prompted him to apologise rather sadly to him. After all, it wasn't entirely his fault that everything happened; Gohan had too played a part in this incident and it was by not being observant enough to notice his disappearance in the first place.

Hearing him, the little kid could only stoop his head again. Although Gohan had expressed his concerns in a mild way, it seemed the words succeeded in permeating into his brain and he became embarrassed of himself, especially after he said he was sorry. It was then when it occurred to him that his brother reprimanded him because he only wanted to make sure of his safety, not out of hate, and this relieved him to some extent. Before Goten could say anything in response, though, he felt an arm wrapping itself around his shoulder and soon found himself leaning comfortably on Gohan's side.

"Besides grandpa, you're all I have left, and I don't wanna lose you…" the big brother spoke with a soft voice, "I know I can always find you with the scouter, but that doesn't mean you can go wherever you like."

Goten became even more touched by his brother's words, and since he never liked seeing him sad like this, the only thing he could think of was to apologise. "Gohan, Goten sowy…"

"It's okay… you're safe, that's all that matters," replied Gohan, "But don't do it again, okay? Please. You have no idea how worried I was when you went missing. I dunno what I should do without you. I'll have no one to take care of, and I'm gonna be very lonely…"

"No do again," Goten promised. He then attempted to hug Gohan around the torso, but his arm span proved too short to do that. "But Gohan no sad… Goten no like! Gohan happy?"

That was all Goten needed to completely console his brother. Thankful that the toddler fully understood his point and granted him forgiveness, Gohan promptly reciprocated the hug with a nice, big one and ruffled his spiky strands of hair which reminded him so much of his father. He remembered when he was little, said man would also do this to him every time he did something wrong—he would mildly rebuke him at first, then follow up with a father-son moment during which they would share just about anything—and he would never forgot his words of wisdom although they could sometimes be plain ridiculous and impractical. However, he knew he always meant well; he was happy to have Kakarot as a good father, and he wanted to be like him in order for Goten experience that love and attention he so deserved.

"Gohan?"

"Hmm?"

"What lunch?"

"Well, what do you want?"

Goten tilted his head to the left and placed his index finger on the temple, thinking hard as though his brother's question had carried a hidden meaning. Gohan thought somehow the expression just didn't suit him at all, and this sight succeeded in triggering a giggle from him. After a moment of serious contemplation, Goten gradually produced a wide grin and said decisively, "Beef stew!"

Gohan lightly poked Goten's forehead. "Ooh, really? That's what I was thinking. Let's make beef stew, then!"

"Yay! Gohan the best! Gohan the best!" the kid exclaimed very happily.

"Yes, but the lunch is not going to cook itself."

The moment was interrupted by a voice which untrained ears would perceive as emotionless and cold. When they turned around, they saw their grandfather standing with arms crossed over the chest and one of his feet continuously tapping on the floor, indicating he had been there for some time. Gohan could feel a hint of guilt within since indeed, he was supposed to be in the kitchen preparing their lunch instead of being all comfortable on the couch, but Goten acted quite the contrary; upon seeing Bardock, he promptly broke free of Gohan's arms and latched onto the grownup's neck with a very jolly "Gwandpa!", almost cutting his air supply in the process.

Gohan watched in amusement as Bardock grumpily ordered the little kid to let go before his face turned blue, but to no avail. He knew that despite the sight, his grandfather loved them so much—especially Goten, perhaps because he was almost an exact doppelganger of Kakarot—and why he wouldn't just swallow his pride and show that tender side for once was beyond him. Sometimes he was a bit jealous since he didn't get all the attention his brother always did, but he kept reminding himself Goten was just a toddler who grew up without his parents, a chance no child should be bereaved of.

When he finally dislodged Goten from his neck, he gently put him down on the floor and turned to Gohan. "Hurry up and prepare the beef stew," he said, gesturing at the kitchen, "If you don't, you'll die of starvation and I might need to put you in the fridge for my own survival."

"Gee… alright. Your sense of humour is really quite dark, huh?" said Gohan as he got up from the coach and stretched furiously.

Bardock shrugged. "That's how I am, so deal with it. In any case, I don't know what Goten's problem was, but you've done a fine job as a big brother in handling it."

Gohan rubbed the back of his head and grinned shyly, torn between proud and flattered for being acknowledged by his grandfather as a good brother. He then entered his bedroom and returned with his handheld game console which he passed to Goten to play with, eliciting a very excited cry from the toddler, before heaving all his grocery bags and proceeding to the kitchen to start working on lunch.

He could use some assistance, so he asked his grandfather to help him to sort the items in the fridge while he carefully grouped the ingredients he would use for their lunch. Bardock thought his presence in the kitchen might spell disaster and argued it wasn't a good idea, but Gohan urged him to just brush the worry aside and said it was alright as long as he kept himself away from the cooking area. He had spent a portion of the money inherited from his parents to buy this stove, and he wouldn't want to waste more just to replace it again with yet another one.

Gohan started chopping meat into bite-sized pieces to make it easier for Goten to eat, but he soon noticed doing so in silence was really boring. Remembering his morning in the marketplace, he started a conversation. "Hey, gramps… I met two people who asked about you. Did you audition for Ten Seconds of Fame?"

"Are you telling me I'm famous now?" Bardock raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"I don't want you to be. I don't like the fanfare and publication…" said Gohan again. However, he flashed an innocent, but mischievous at the same time, grin. "But I want the money. Hee-hee."

"We have enough money for the next ten years. On with your point, boy."

Hearing the response, the boy felt a drop of sweat running down his temple. Gohan couldn't for the life of him comprehend how such people with no sense of humour at all existed in this world. He had to admit, though, sometimes the way his grandfather reacted to his jokes could be amusing; perhaps an anti-joke kind of person might well be considered a joker per se.

Gohan decided to begin his recount with the encounter at the meat stall. "Hmm… there's this butcher on the market. He's a really nice guy! Look, he even gave away these for me," he said as he showed Bardock the three packs of sausages he got for free, "His name's Borgos, and he asked me to pass his greetings to you."

"Ah, Borgos. It's been too long… we were in the same squad back in the Army."

"Yeah, he said so, too. I guess that means he's very strong like you, gramps!"

"I was the strongest in my group. No one even came close," Bardock flashed a very proud smirk.

"So you do have a sense of humour, dontcha?" Gohan snickered in reply, "Well, someday I'll be as strong as you, too. I'm gonna be a great warrior and make money to help Goten go to school."

"Yeah? If you really want to achieve what you said, you're going to train extra hard after lunch."

"Gotcha! And the other one was this lady…"

When the word 'lady' escaped Gohan's mouth, Bardock was taken by surprise. Contrary to his son, he wasn't exactly a sociable person, and the only people he knew and who knew him were either still in the Army or had been there at one point of their life. He didn't know about the current situation, but if memory served him right, there hadn't been many women in the Army, which led him straight into suspecting the woman his grandson was talking about was an estranged friend of his whom he hadn't made contact with for the last twelve years.

"… she's a Praetorian. I never thought I get to meet one of them…"

That sentence only confirmed his suspicion. She was one of the two reasons preventing him to proceed and enlist himself in the Royal Army as a Praetorian two and a half years ago although he knew he was more than capable of outdoing even the best of the candidates by a considerable margin. He could never forget that fateful day when she left her fellow Commoner friends behind by—without a second thought—becoming a Praetorian, and the fact that Gohan had met her stirred mixed feelings inside him.

"… her name's—"

"Fasha," Bardock interjected.

As though having heard something unbelievable, Gohan stopped chopping and turned to Bardock. Sporting an incredulous look on his face, he asked with eyes the size of a saucer, "Howdcha know?"

"She was a member of my squad too," replied Bardock in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Small world…" Gohan mumbled. Although the interconnectivity of the events that had transpired today was too crazy for him to handle and he was still having a hard time digesting it all, he hummed the tune of 'It's a Small World', which coincidentally was a song he would always hum to Goten with a very slow tempo to get him to sleep.

The grandfather, however, wasn't exactly fond of engaging in a discussion pertaining to this subject, so he left the kitchen—Gohan made a playful complaint about how rude it was to leave without saying anything and he might pass down that attitude to Goten, but he didn't care—and seated himself on the couch beside his youngest grandson who was still immersed in the virtual world, blissfully ignorant of his surroundings.

Bardock didn't know under what circumstances his grandson could have met Fasha, but he had a suspicion that an unseen force was trying to convey to him something through his encounter with her. That being said, Bardock wasn't one to mourn over what had happened long ago; he had left her so far behind and made a choice to move on, and entertaining this case would either be of no point or yield an unfavourable outcome. After all, it had been over ten years since their last meeting, and chances were Fasha hadn't been expecting to see him again.

The adult Saiyan had let go of his attachments to the past and lived with it, and it certainly wouldn't change now even though the voice in his head kept growing louder and louder by the second in an attempt to gain his attention and make him falter. He knew, however, the Fasha he had known previously was now a thing of the past; all that was left was a heartless husk who had betrayed him and the rest of their comrades, and there was no way he would reconnect with such an unfeeling person. Yes, Bardock was a man of his words, and despite his inner voice, he had decided to leave Fasha behind and would never change his mind… or would he?

Whether or not he would stand firm with his decision, only time could answer.


	5. Perspective

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

Five years had passed since Trunks and Goten's first encounter with each other.

Sometime during that period of time, the boys had established very solid and firm friendship between them. Without fail, they—along with their respective caregivers who were Fasha and Gohan—would meet every fortnight on the field by the marketplace after lunchtime, and spend four solid hours playing, conversing, or sometimes sparring with each other. To date, the streak was still unbroken, and they didn't plan to break it any time soon. For all intents and purposes, Trunks's childhood desire had been fulfilled: with no one his age to play together with and talk to within the castle grounds, he had become Goten's best friend.

According to Trunks, the Queen didn't mind him meeting Goten at all as long as Fasha supervised them. She was happy that her son had made a Commoner friend since it was an indication of humility, albeit an extreme one, but that was also why she never failed to remind him to always be on his guard. The King, however, did voice out his concerns pertaining to this matter in a rather intimidating and threatening manner. It was true Vegeta had never been fond of the idea of mingling with people of lower castes, and sometimes he would rebuke Trunks for it.

When Goten learned about this he became very distressed and worried about Trunks's well-being. The Prince just nonchalantly shrugged it off and said it was okay and not something to be concerned about. After all, they were living in a society controlled by law, not by caprice, and not even his father had power over the law to make decisions at whim or just because he didn't like the way things went. One time, he had even said, "We don't do anything wrong, why scared of him? He's just my dad." Disregarding the fact that Goten still hadn't accustomed himself to the idea of a 'dad'—it was a year ago when Gohan finally broke the news that they had been orphans all along, and the poor little brother needed some serious consolation afterward—he could only respond with a nervous giggle although he knew Trunks was telling the truth about not being in the hot soup.

On the other hand, the Son grandfather didn't care even the slightest bit about their meeting. Bardock knew they would be out to play after school every other Friday, and although at first he was very angry and almost went totally bananas upon learning Gohan and Goten had been regularly meeting with the castle dwellers without his knowledge, he had grown accustomed to it over time. There had been attempts from Fasha to reconnect with Bardock, but the latter had always been stubborn with his decision to keep her in the past, much to her disappointment. As such, they stayed nothing more than estranged friends, and whether or not their relationship would ever improve was anyone's guess.

Generally, Bardock was uninterested in his grandsons' activities and would never interfere, on the condition that they went back home in time to prepare dinner. In fact, without a pubescent teenager and a bratty tyke running about in the house, he could either enjoy a somewhat long period of training in the nearby woods without being interrupted.

All things considered, everything had been going very smoothly for Trunks and Goten. They had everything they could have asked for, and nothing could possibly go crazy…

… until the more adventurous between them came up with an unorthodox plan.

* * *

"Hey Goten, Fasha's been acting strange lately. I think she has a crush on someone."

"Huh? Crush? Do you mean she smashed someone to powder?"

The Prince slapped his forehead with his palm. Physically, Goten was only six months younger than him, but there seemed to be a five-year gap between their respective intellectual ages. "Not that, you dummy. Have you ever heard of two people having a crush on each other?"

"Nuh-uh," Goten shook his head fervently, "What does that mean?"

Trunks couldn't resist rolling his eyes at his friend's egregious cluelessness, but proceeded to try to explain it nonetheless. Honestly, he was also at loss of words in doing so, but being an excessively proud boy he was he wouldn't admit it in the open—not on his life. Quoting Trunks, a person was said to experience a crush if he or she people liked someone else, although this wasn't the best explanation to provide, especially when speaking to the innocent Goten. Little did the lilac-haired Prince know, things were about to take an unexpected, yet humorous, turn.

"Ooh! I get it! So we're in a crush!" exclaimed the younger boy with an untold amount of happiness.

Hearing Goten's words, Trunks shuddered, a furrow formed between his eyebrows, and his face assumed a lighter shade of tan, all at the same time. "N-no way! It doesn't work like that, it's different!"

"But how come? I like you, and you like me too, dontcha?"

"Yeah, but not that way. We're best friends, Goten! Best friends don't have a crush on each other. Plus, we're both boys! That's strange!"

"So boys can only have a crush on girls?"

"Well, duh, of course! Looks like you finally understand," Trunks let out a sigh. Getting his idea past that thick skull of his friend's was never an easy thing to do, and what an accomplishment it was to him when he finally managed to do it. "Anyway, listen. What I was gonna say is…"

Goten listened very carefully as Trunks began to share to him the results of his investigation. According to him, Fasha had been thinking about a particular somebody for quite some time now, and she seemed pretty passionate about it. At first he dismissed it as one of those adult matters he still couldn't comprehend, but somehow the fact that the lady would sometimes talk to an imaginary friend about this person totally intrigued him. When asked by Goten how he knew Fasha had been acting like that, Trunks just replied in a very carefree manner that he had simply seen her in one of her—as he put it—whispering-to-herself sessions when she thought he wasn't listening.

At the reply, Goten gasped as his eyes became twice as huge. "Trunks, you're naughty! You've been peeping on her!"

"Wouldcha relax? You sound like my mom," Trunks hissed in exasperation, "Besides, I wasn't peeping on her. I was observing her. And it's not like I asked for that, so is it my fault if I saw her doing it? Now be quiet and lemme finish my story!"

Not fully comprehending what he just heard, Goten raised an eyebrow. In all honesty, he didn't see what the difference between them was, and the thought of Trunks observing his aide somehow occurred to him as even creepier. He shrugged it aside, though, and listened as the little Royal continued to fill him with details.

To Goten's chagrin, Trunks didn't show signs of shame at all when boasting about how he managed to snoop around the castle without being seen by Praetorians. Instead, he was being cheeky and somewhat proud of his achievement; this might be attributed to his acquired ability to mask his energy signal; during their sparring sessions, these two little rascals had somehow figured out a way to control the flux of their power levels at will to avoid detection by scouters, which had proved very useful in Trunks's self-styled observation. Thanks to that, said the Prince, he was able to go absolutely wherever he wanted as long as he was able to keep himself in the shadows or conceal his identity.

The Prince carried on with his findings. From what he had observed lately, what Fasha had been talking about to herself was a plan of some sort of a meet-up. His best friend again interrupted him and said it was bad to eavesdrop, but he retorted with a reply similar to his previous one and continued, unheeding of his pouting friend. After several minutes of what seemed to be nonsensical rambling which Goten listened to rather half-heartedly, Trunks finally got into the point and touched on the juiciest part of the story, and it was the identity of the person in Fasha's mind. This was the part Goten had been waiting for, so he leaned closer and prepared himself for one huge denouement.

The name of the person was Bardock.

"H-huh? You mean…" Goten gave an incredulous stare, "… she likes my grandpa?"

"Shh! Not so loud, stupid! What if she hears us?" Trunks quickly covered Goten's mouth with his palms. When he looked across the street, he was relieved to see Fasha still talking to Gohan, oblivious that they had been talking about her all along. After silencing Goten with a somewhat frightening glare, he let go of him and continued. "But yeah, I think so. She can be annoying when she starts talking to herself, so I've come out with a plan to make her stop. It's gonna be legendary! C'mere, listen to me."

"Gee, I dunno, Trunks… I don't think it's a good idea," Goten hesitated, "Last time you also planned to have fun, but we got into trouble!"

Goten referred to an incident they had caused a year ago. That time, they were feeling particularly bored after playing with each other, so at Trunks's suggestion they decided to be despicable and pull pranks on some people. Being at the vicinity of the marketplace, they used it to their advantage by luring Gohan, who at the time was enjoying his cone of vanilla ice cream, to follow them to the fruits area. When they arrived at their destination, Trunks's and Goten's hands and tails sprang into action; they very swiftly flung a collection of fruits—most of them unpleasantly creamy, such as avocado and papaya—at the poor big brother with immaculate precision and accuracy, turning his ice cream into a tutti-frutti-flavoured one and making him look like a statue drenched in tens of servings of fruit purée. Definitely unhappy of how things had played out, the carers took the demonic pranksters away from the uproarious marketplace to a quiet place and gave them a scolding of their lives for endangering themselves and nearby people, although the seriousness of their rebuke was somewhat toned down by Gohan's outrageously hilarious appearance and fragrant smell.

"Do you think I don't improve after that?" Trunks frowned, trying to prepare himself in advance against the possibility of accusations thrown by his friend, "And who says we're pulling pranks this time? Just listen up!"

Knowing his best friend would stop at nothing to get him involved in his plan, the younger Saiyan sighed in defeat. "Okay, Trunks. But I don't wanna get into trouble this time, you hear me?"

"You won't. We're gonna do a good thing and help Fasha and your grandpa," Trunks nodded firmly to in order to ensure everything was going to be just fine.

For some reason, the prospect of helping the adults occurred to Goten as interesting. As Trunks explained his strategy to him, his eyes began to dilate, and he believed the plan was a very good one which had very little chance of failing. When the Prince concluded, they produced a cloying expression and giggled mischievously.

"I'll finish it by tonight," Trunks nodded and gave the thumbs up. He was as positive as could be that their plan was going to succeed. "When it's done, I'll get someone to deliver it to your home."

"Yeah! I'll make sure to be the one to receive it!" Goten joined in excitement.

With that, the artful Saiyan children flashed a proud grin and shook hands with each other triumphantly. Now that their plan had been officially brought into life, they couldn't wait to see the sweet fruits it would bear tonight.

* * *

Being a restless individual by nature, Bardock couldn't stand doing nothing. The veracity of this statement was irrefutable even though he was supposed to take a much-needed break after his training session.

He was among those people who got bored easily. In order to combat the tedium, he had established himself as the butler of the house, which was the reason why no one would ever find even the slightest hint of dust in the house. And so, with his training for the day now completed, he grabbed his most trusted buddy, a powerful vacuum cleaner with interchangeable heads, before tackling each and every corner of the house and rid his family of those miserable sneeze-inducing particles. He was so skilled in what he was doing it only took him half an hour to clear every room from all the dust he could see.

Today wasn't a moping day, so the next thing he did was arrange everything as neatly as possible. With Other-Worldly efficiency, Bardock darted here and there around the house, returning everything which was out of place to where it belonged. It wasn't too hard a chore, but he was always irked at the fact that Goten never bothered to return his comic books to the bookshelf after reading and would just leave them unattended overnight, scattered all over the floor in the bedroom. Considering his spiky-haired grandson was more than capable of finishing one comic book in less than ten minutes, the mess he left behind was prodigious, and clearing it up was more annoying than tiring. However, when he was going to do just that, something he hadn't noticed when cleaning up the boys' room caught his attention.

On Gohan's desk was an album with a beautiful cover. It was a family album, and his best guess on how it had ended up there was that Gohan had been reminiscing about the past last night. Deciding to unwind for a while, he sat on the chair and began flipping the pages. The album held so many photographs of his family, starting from Kakarot and Chichi's early times as mates all the way to Goten's seventh birthday not so long ago; the time span between the first and last photographs was nearly twenty years. The joyful moments immortalised in the pictures succeeded in making him in cracking a small smile, and suddenly he felt his irritation toward Goten fly away. Along with Gohan, Bardock had watched his youngest grandson—who never remembered his real parents—grow from a whiny toddler into a lively young boy who always looked at the positive side of everything, and to say he was very proud of him was an understatement.

Still with a smile he would never show to anyone else plastered to his face, he arranged Goten's comic books in three stacks on his desk before returning the album to its place in the living room. However, another album with olive drab cover jutting out from the bookshelf piqued his interest, so he pulled it out and started feeling even more nostalgic than when he flipped through the pages of the family album.

True to the colour of its cover, this particular album held countless photographs of him and his comrades during his time in the Army. Everything in the picture was depicted exactly how he remembered it: people were clad in battle suits of dull and muted colours, teamwork and camaraderie were in the air, and the feeling of oneness and cohesion was unmistakable. Bardock felt warmer inside with every page he turned over, and he became immersed in the sweet charms of nostalgia as he walked down the memory lane.

He was so lost in the past he didn't notice Gohan and Goten entering the house and going straight to the kitchen to prepare for dinner. After an indefinite amount of time, he finally got into a page displaying the moments he and his squad cherished together. Things seemed to be very different back then; as the leader of a squad of five, he was looked up to by his comrades and they had always had unfaltering faith in him. Also, being the most elite squad in the entire Army, he could remember being compared to some of the lower-tier groups in the Royal Army, which he would always respond by half-jokingly saying that being likened to the small fries offended him and that he aspired to surpass the some of the Praetorians themselves.

Then, finally, his mind set its sight on Fasha, his long-time friend. Even though he was a rugged, no-nonsense warrior, he was still a sentient being who would from time to time succumb to overwhelming emotions. Whenever he felt down and uncertain, it was her who had always cheered him up and urged him to keep fighting for what he believed was right. The opposite was also true; he still remembered those times when he gave her advice to better her combat skills and sparred with her more than anyone else, which led his other comrades to start spreading romance-tinged rumours which was obviously untrue.

But those days belonged in the distant past, not in the present. Now, what was left of his once cohesive squad were himself and Fasha who had betrayed him. He hadn't been keeping in touch with Tora and Shugesh ever since Gohan was born, and had said boy not met Borgos at the marketplace four years ago he would also have lost contact with him—not that he had been frequently meeting him anyway. Bardock knew too well that what had taken place couldn't be undone, so he as always pushed the thought of his lost friends, including Fasha, to the back of his mind and returned the Army photo album to the bookshelf with mixed feelings.

Having nothing else to do, he again seated himself on the couch and was surprised to see Goten in the same room, and also heard noises from the kitchen. The fact that he had failed to notice his grandsons' arrival made him realise he had gotten himself too deep into the past; judging from the colour of the sunlight breaking through the window it must be around six in the evening, which meant he had been reminiscing for about two hours.

"Hey," he greeted Goten.

The boy, who had been staring at his grandfather like never before, was yanked back into reality. Looking concerned, he asked, "Grandpa, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Bardock shrugged nonchalantly, "Just go help your brother in the kitchen."

And so Goten strolled into the kitchen, leaving his grandfather alone in the living room. He found it surprising that he finally realised he hadn't been able to let go of his past after all. If he had, there would have been no need to push all those memories aside to prevent them from playing cruel tricks on his brain, but there was no denying the fact that he still did. Perhaps there was really something he needed to settle with someone to finally get over all those problematic thoughts, and he knew more than anyone else that someone was Fasha, the root cause of the emotional turmoil he had managed to bury deep down inside for the past twelve years.

In the middle of his contemplation, he could hear Gohan and Goten exchanging a few words from the kitchen. Judging from the tone of his voice, it seemed the youngest was very worried about him, but it was the least of his concern now. He could take care of himself and knew the boundary between what was good for him and what wasn't.

"Gohan, what's wrong with grandpa? He's been like that for hours. Is he sick? Is he gonna be okay? Is he—"

"He'll be fine. He's just reminiscing, that's all."

"Re… minis… ah! What does that mean?"

"That means he's remembering about something, Goten."

"Huh? What did he forget to bring?"

"Haha, I guess it's still a hard word for you now. Hey, why dontcha go and take a bath? Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes."

"Yay!"

The little kid rushed in joy from the kitchen right into the bathroom while stripping off in the process, not paying attention whatsoever to his grandfather whom he was concerned about just moments ago. How Goten was able to undress while running was totally beyond Bardock, but it sure provided his eyes an unpleasant sight of articles of clothing lying around, so he got up with a sigh and put the shirt and pants inside the laundry basket.

Although it seemed out of his character, he sat at the dining table and waited for the food to be ready. When it was, Gohan was amused to see his grandfather just sitting there, not saying a single word about why the food took so long to be served, and got even more so when he offered to help transport the plates of meat and vegetables from the kitchen to the dining room.

The food was ready and they only needed to wait for Goten to get done with his bath. He finally did, and with nothing but towel wrapped around his waist he took a seat beside the big brother and got his hand on the nearest plate he could reach. Of course, Gohan was unhappy about this; he reminded Goten about being polite and courteous before instructing him to get dressed, or else they weren't going to proceed with dinner. Being too hungry, the little boy grimaced, although he did as said since the thought of not having food was more unbearable than anything else.

In less than half a minute, Goten returned to the dining table, fully prepared to take down everything on the table. Seeing his brother now dressed appropriately, Gohan gave a cue to start digging in, and so the three Saiyans did. The overall mood was undeniably jovial with the brothers, as usual, talked between their spoonfuls of food about their school lives, academic endeavour, and friends. However, unbeknownst to them, their grandfather wasn't with them despite his physical presence.

Even at dinner, which was a period of time he was supposed to enjoy with his grandsons, Bardock couldn't forget about what he had been thinking about since the afternoon. Normally he would easily shrug off the thought as though it had been a trivial matter, but now it wasn't as simple. This had never happened before, so why now? It was as though something was telling him to stop and listen to his heart, but again, he was too stubborn to yield to his conscience. He wanted to participate in the glee Gohan and Goten was totally immersed in, but he was prevented from doing so by this particular thought and uneasiness that had been gnawing deep within.

He tried to divert his attention away from it by helping Gohan wash all the dishes after they finished all the food. He even accompanying Goten in watching his favourite television show, but all his efforts proved to bear no result. All he got were incredulous responses from his grandsons regarding his sudden change of behaviour, although they didn't mind at all and even encouraged him to do more often. When he was going to return to his bedroom, Goten stubbornly begged for him to stay and refused to stop, which irritated him to no end.

"Stop whining, boy! You know I have something more important to do!" Bardock snapped, unwilling to take any more of Goten's nagging.

The little boy was very frightened seeing the reaction he had triggered. He could only stoop his head in embarrassment and said very dejectedly, "Sorry, grandpa…"

Although he was glad Goten knew he had done something he shouldn't have, Bardock felt guilty. He didn't mean to surprise him like that, but the fact was otherwise. In order to show Goten he accepted the apology, he sat beside the frightened kid and gently ruffled his spiky mess of hair.

"Lift your head. The commercial break is over," he said, "You don't want to miss even a second of your favourite show, do you? I'll stay, but only until the show's over."

That was all Bardock needed to reintroduce happiness into his youngest grandson's bloodstream, and he became as hyper as ever like a ball of energy. With Goten sitting happily on his lap, he spent the next fifteen minutes sitting lazily on the couch, watching a show about a very mischievous brown mouse and his arch-nemesis, a bluish grey-furred cat. Although it was a children's show, the antics of the characters amused him to no end and prompted occasional chuckles from him.

Then it finally occurred to Bardock out of nowhere. All Fasha had wanted to do all this time was to ask him for forgiveness, just as Goten did seconds ago. If he could forgive his grandson and forget everything that easily, why couldn't he have done the same to his long-time friend? He remembered he told Gohan stories when he was little about the virtues of life, and mentioned that forgiveness was among the most important ones. If he couldn't live up to what he had taught, wouldn't it make him a hypocrite of some sort, if not exactly one?

Up until now, he didn't know why he had been such a despicable person for Fasha. Perhaps it might be due to the fact that she had betrayed their friendship years ago by leaving for the Royals, but really, was that it? When he heard about the commotion Goten and Trunks had caused at the marketplace a few months back, he got very angry, but gave the child a second chance nonetheless. What kept him from doing the exact same thing to Fasha? Everybody deserved a second chance.

Finally, after serious consideration and contemplation, he decided to tackle this issue with head held high. What awaited him should he take this path was anyone's guess, but proceeding ahead was a better course of action than to run away and hide from it; after all, life was always littered with crossroads, each one of the paths offering a mysterious set of possibilities. Unless one was bold enough to face his fear of the unknown, he would never know what lay beyond, and that was what made life worth living and risks worth taking.

Bardock then brought Goten to the boys' room to play with Gohan before proceeding to his own. The first thing he noticed was his green scouter on the desk, the very gadget he was going to utilise in manifesting his resolve in concrete actions. Rallying his courage, he took the scouter, fitted it over his left eye, and pressed some buttons on the side. All he could perceive at first were static-like noises, but after a short period of wait, someone else from over the line of the communicator finally spoke.

"Hello?"

"Fasha," he spoke without waiting for his conversation partner to respond, "I hope you're free tonight."


	6. Getting the Point Across

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

"Trunks, this is bad! It's not gonna work!"

"Wh-what? Why? What happened, Goten?"

"I just got your letter, and grandpa's not here!"

That night, two boys were panicking their heads off. Trunks and Goten would only exhibit that kind of reaction if they knew something they had planned, such as pranks, was compromised and stripped off of the chance to work out.

Earlier that day, they had made a little plan to help Fasha and Bardock get together since Trunks believed his aide might be in a crush with the latter, the rationale being that he had seen her talking with an imaginary friend about Goten's grandfather several times. This obviously succeeded in creeping him out, so bent on making it stop, along with his best friend he devised a plan to tackle the issue once and for all, for the good of them all.

However, the plan required Bardock to be at home when the so-called letter was delivered, and now only one of them was present, which was exactly why Goten was freaking out like that. Just as a dish wouldn't be complete without its ingredients, their plan wouldn't going to proceed as planned without its elements, and the situation was currently dire with the Saiyan boys unable to come up with any ideas whatsoever to get around this problem.

"No way! Whydcha let your grandpa leave?" shouted Trunks.

Goten immediately became very defensive due to Trunks's accusing tone. His voice was slightly muffled for fear of Gohan hearing his conversation. "Hey, don't blame me! I didn't even know he left!"

"How come? You're living in the same house, right?"

"But Trunks, I was talking with Gohan in our room all the time! And how do I know what he's gonna do? I can't read minds!"

"At least you could've stalled him for a while. Darn it, now you gotta patch everything up!"

"Oh yeah? I can say the same to you! You could've finished writing the letter earlier! What time is it now, huh?" Goten snapped in vexation. To tell the truth, he was on the verge of crying, but somehow he managed to resist the urge to give in and crush his scouter. His esteem was at stake, and doing that would perhaps strain his friendship with Trunks. "Don't think just because you're a Prince you can throw everything at me all the time, Trunks. We're best friends, and I thought we're supposed to help each other!"

There was a moment of silence. Trunks knew Goten was correct with his words. Although he had promised to finish writing by tonight, he had prioritised his video game over his plan, and it was now around two hours to midnight. Goten had expected the letter to be in his possession at most after dinner, but now things had taken a turn for the worse. Trunks clenched his teeth in frustration for being cornered like this; however, being a very proud boy he was, he would never admit that everything had played out this way due to the fault of his own.

"Stop with that already, Goten. I don't wanna hear it again," Trunks growled. He had to somehow divert the flow of the conversation. "Now think. There has to be something we can do."

"You gotta think too! I don't wanna always get the bad part!"

"Okay, okay! Sheesh, you're such a baby sometimes."

Another silence followed. Neither of the boys dared to say anything since with all the tension between them, it would take one only a single poorly chosen word to trigger an unhealthy dose of retaliation from the other. This time was better used to brainstorm for a possible solution to get around the unexpected situation they were in now, just like what Goten did. However, while still immersed deep in his contemplation, he was taken aback by a restrained gasp followed by a shaky voice from over the line.

"W-what is it, Trunks?" asked Goten. Although he wasn't physically with Trunks, he could almost see his face gradually getting paler.

"Oh no… Fasha's…" Trunks stuttered uncontrollably, "F-fasha's not… not here as well!"

Contrary to him earlier, Goten seemed to respond to the news exceptionally well, especially considering that he was the very hyper and easily agitated type. He felt great now that Trunks had had a taste of his own medicine. "See? Now you know what I meant when I said I couldn't read minds, dontcha?" he asked with a smug undertone, very much unlike himself.

Acknowledging defeat, Trunks grunted and rolled his eyes. There was this saying stating everything that could go wrong, would, and certainly this had proved true in this case. Now that things had taken an ugly turn of events, the little Saiyans could only hope there was no more invisible force threatening to thwart their plan further and they could do something to rectify the wrong. They were very close to fulfilling their goal, but something just had to show up and foil what they had prepared so meticulously.

"Why don't we just save it for another day, Trunks?" asked Goten. He had gotten less enthusiastic about proceeding with their plan. "Can you wait? I think it's too late to do anything… and it's ten-twenty. I'm kinda sleepy…"

"Okay, I guess…" Trunks sighed in annoyance. His friend was right in saying there was nothing they could do now, although that would mean he had to stand yet another period of time dealing with a confused aide whose thoughts could run anywhere.

With a 'bye' from both ends, the boys went offline and were now separated by distance. Goten strolled slowly into his room, saw Gohan still talking on his scouter, and sat by his computer. Judging from the jovial tone and the occasional chuckles he let out, he must be talking with his usual friends he always hang around with at school. Goten remembered when he was first introduced to them, they—especially the girls—had absolutely no power to resist pinching his cheeks. Fearing the loss of elasticity of his skin if this continued, he sought refuge behind his brother's legs. He was rather traumatised by this little incident which might have accounted for his chronic timidity.

Gohan finally hung up after another five-minute period of conversation, partly because his brother was now in the room, looking tired and sleepy. "Who was on your scouter?" he asked.

"It was my classmate. He asked me to come over tomorrow," Goten lied, knowing the call he had made earlier with Trunks was illegal due to being unsupervised, and it seemed he succeeded in tricking Gohan into believing him. He lay sprawled on his side of the king-sized bed, stretched furiously, and let a huge sigh. "Gohan… where's grandpa?"

The question took the big brother by surprise. "Huh? Isn't he in his room?"

"Nuh-uh. I thought so too, but he didn't answer when I knocked. When I came in, there was nobody in the room."

"That's strange… he never went out this late."

Gohan tried to give his grandfather a call through the scouter, but the line was silent and there weren't any static-like noises, indicating Bardock had switched off his only means of communication. However, Goten was one step ahead of him; the little boy instinctively locked on to the grownup using his scouter and succeeded in finding an unusually high power level. Thanks to his big brother, he had had a crash course on the basics of the tiny gadget, although he was still clueless about its more intricate features.

"Wowee, I've got someone! It might be grandpa, because it's strong!" exclaimed Goten in a tone which seemed to be a peculiar mix of excitement and worry, "It's walking away from us. It says he's around seven hundred metres from here. What's a metre, Gohan?"

"A metre is… you're around one metre tall," said Gohan while tinkering with his scouter to check if the person Goten located was really Bardock. In just a moment, he too perceived someone whose power level clearly outplayed that of others within a kilometre radius. There was no doubt about it; it was Bardock. "You're right, it's him. But where's he going?"

"So seven hundred metres is when there are seven hundred of me head to toe?"

"Yup, you're right. It's very far for you," replied Gohan. He then proceeded to take his hoodie from the wardrobe, an action which made Goten tilt his head in confusion. "Now I'm gonna check on grandpa. I'm kinda worried about him… just go to sleep, okay? I'll be back when I know he's okay."

"Huh? No! I wanna go too!" the little brother protested. He got up from the bed, took his warm clothes, and tugged at Gohan's sleeve. There was no way he was going to stay behind and sleep like nothing happened. "Let's go, let's go…"

"Goten, it's very cold outside, and it's already late. We don't even know where he's going to or what he's gonna do—"

"But I'm worried too, Gohan. What if something bad happens to him? Or you?"

"I'll be okay, trust me. Look, if you go along, I'll have someone else to worry about, and I don't want you to fall sick… and you're sleepy, right?"

"No… I'm not…" Goten countered, but his droopy eyes said otherwise and he knew it. He tried very hard not to give in, but eventually the peaceful charms of sleep got the better of him and he let out a huge yawn.

Seeing his little brother tried in vain to combat his drowsiness, Gohan knelt down beside him and ruffled his hair. "Ooh? Says who? C'mon. Let's get you to bed."

Goten might be able to lie to Gohan, but the same couldn't be said when dealing with his own body. As much as he wanted to go, he knew he needed to go to sleep soon since it was past his usual bedtime. There was nothing Goten could do, so he complied and let Gohan help him change into his pyjamas, carry him back to bed, and tuck him in. There was no denying the fact that it was so comfortable to be under a layer of quilt, especially when it was cold just like tonight. Feeling totally ecstatic at the warmth coursing through his body, Goten's normally huge eyes became gradually smaller as his eyelids got heavier by the second.

After five minutes of waiting, Gohan stole a glance at his brother to see if he had fallen asleep, and it seemed he had. The sight of Goten snoring lightly and looking all comfortable was somewhat adorable, and the big brother couldn't resist cracking a smile. Gohan then carefully made his way out of the bed, fitted his scouter over his left eye, and put on his hoodie, but when he was only seconds away from switching off the room light, the sound of his name caught his attention.

When he turned around, he saw a tiny head peeking from under the quilt. "I thought you're already asleep," he said, "Just continue sleeping, Goten. I'll be back even before you wake up."

"Uh-huh…" replied Goten with a very soft voice, "I know you're gonna find grandpa, but be careful, okay, big brother? I don't want you to get sick too."

Gohan was touched by his brother's concern. After promising to exercise due care and assuring the child that he would be alright, he turned off the light so Goten could return to sleep more easily. They exchanged a 'good night', and then the big brother exited the room and made himself a bottle of hot tea to fend off the cold he would surely feel outside.

Sure enough, when he opened the front door, a chilly breeze of the autumn night rushed into the living room, giving him the shivers. The zephyr made Gohan reconsider his decision for a brief moment, but he decided to press on since he had promised Goten he would find out what happened to their grandfather or where he was heading to. It wasn't that he couldn't take care of himself; Bardock had been, and was still, among the strongest among the Commoners, perhaps even stronger than some of the Praetorians themselves. Should there be street thugs foolish enough to pick on him, they would wake up the next morning with their tails knotted together or their heads inside a trash bin, and that was if they were lucky enough he decided to play nice. In the past, Gohan even made a joking remark that even Death herself would think thrice before thinking to come and get him.

However, the fact that this was Bardock's first time in ages going out late at night wasn't something to overlook. Gohan knew his grandfather was a drinker—not a heavy one, but still a drinker nonetheless—and would sometimes drink away his problems with a shot of vodka or two. There weren't many reasons to do an excursion in such a late hour, and having to deal with personal problems was one of said reasons; the teenager only wanted to make sure Bardock wasn't going to drink himself to oblivion and get himself totally wasted as a result.

Finally, Gohan strengthened his resolve. Armed with curiosity and a collection of items to keep him warm, he locked the door and set off into the dark of night, intent on finding his grandfather. He didn't know where Bardock's energy signature would lead him, but for Goten—who seemed to be worried sick about him—he was willing to take the risk and go the extra mile.

* * *

"I thought I said a quarter to eleven."

"I… I know. I'm sorry. I was just relieved from duty."

"Have a seat."

Bardock had been waiting for quite some time, and thirty minutes had elapsed since he arrived at the restaurant when Fasha finally showed up. Being the Queen's most trusted Praetorian, she didn't have much free time on her hands and would need to wait until Bulma and Trunks relieved her from duty until she could go places on her own, and it was usually around this time.

Fasha sat across Bardock as advised and took a look around, trying to find out if there had been changes to this place since her last visit almost twenty years ago. Being located on the fringe of the town, the restaurant was a quaint one with strong, pleasant countryside atmosphere. Every single piece of the furniture was made of wood, further accentuating the rustic feel. There weren't that many patrons despite it was Friday night, perhaps because tonight was particularly freezing and people tended to avoid the cold by staying at home.

Honestly speaking, the call earlier that night had taken her by surprise, and the fact that they were in this restaurant of all places just made her even more puzzled. This countryside eatery held a nostalgic value for both of them since as a Commoner, she would sometimes frequent this place for late-night supper with Bardock. However, those were exactly the reason why everything seemed to be contradicting each other; if memory served her right, every attempt she had made in the past to meet up had been dismissed without any second thought by Bardock since he wanted to move on and leave her behind. So why this place, which would surely remind him of their past? Or why did he decide to have a meet-up on short notice for that matter?

"Hello. Up for a supper? What can I get for you?"

Fasha's train of thought was broken by a greeting coming from the waitress. She couldn't answer the question yet since she hadn't taken a look on the menu, so she asked the young lady to wait for a moment. Turning to Bardock, she asked, "Do you have anything in particular to eat?"

"You decide. I'll take the margarita, on the rocks," replied Bardock rather tersely.

"Okay… hold on," said Fasha as she flipped through the pages of the menu. There were so many mouth-watering dishes, but there was this particular item she used to order in the past. Since it had been a long time, she might as well have it again now. "Six large assorted meat pizzas, extra cheese. And a glass of mojito, please."

The waiter swiftly recorded the order on a piece of paper. "Noted. Is that all, or do you want to add in some sides?"

When Fasha glanced at Bardock, he again gave a gaze which seemed to say it was up to her. She nodded in understanding and finally made her mind after flipping back and forth through the appetiser page. "Two bowls of Caesar salad and four servings of garlic bread would be nice. That's all for now, thank you."

"Sure thing," the waiter smiled and took the menu from the table, "Please allow around twenty minutes for the pizza. Enjoy your time!"

With a 'thanks' from Fasha and a grunt of acknowledgement from Bardock, they were left alone. The next five minutes passed with neither of the adults saying anything, which was kind of understandable considering it had been ages since they last met, let alone sat across each other, and that wasn't mentioning the fact that they had been estranged for so long. It was awkward to say the least, but now that they were here, someone had to do something to break the ice.

And since it was him who had brought them here, Bardock was the one to take the initiative. "How are things?"

"Fine, thanks," replied Fasha, "I trust you've been well, too, from what I've heard from your grandsons."

"Hmph, those children. Perhaps I shouldn't have let them go out that time," Bardock snorted.

"They're good boys. Gohan is a very clever boy, and Goten is always cheerful and positive."

"No need to state the obvious. I know them."

"I want to thank you for allowing Goten to play with Prince Trunks. They've become very close friends since then, and you have no idea what it means to His Highness."

"I don't care about your Prince or whatever they do, as long as you do your job in keeping my grandson fine when they're together."

Yet another period of silence followed. Bardock knew idle chatter like this wouldn't get him far, but his pride prevented him from even considering to grant forgiveness to his long lost friend. However, at the same time, he knew if he wanted to tackle the issue he had come here to talk with Fasha and settle, it was imperative that he man up and shove aside any thought which might get in the way.

Similarly, Fasha too still found the atmosphere very tense and unconducive, and she couldn't even find the right way to strike another round of conversation. It was true that she had been looking for an opportunity to have a word with Bardock, the same man who was now sitting right across her, but the way things had played out was totally unaccounted for and she was nowhere near ready to express her apology right here, right now. She didn't know how long it would take to rally her courage, but everything was bound to go downhill should they stay like this for too long.

So far the meet-up hadn't yielded a favourable outcome, since all Bardock and Fasha had done was feed the silence with their wordlessness. They were still uncomfortable with each other even when the alcoholic beverages they had ordered arrived, and that was around five minutes or so since Bardock said his very first word after they had been seated. Now fully aware this was going nowhere, he set his mind straight and finally decided to break the silence again.

Bardock held the old-fashioned glass to his face and inhaled the piquant lime aroma of his drink. "How's life in the castle?"

"Well, it's been alright, but it could get a little bit too laid-back," replied Fasha. She was slightly more relaxed than before, thanks to the refreshing minty beverage she just sipped. "How about you? Are you still keeping up with your training?"

"Alright, but laid-back," Bardock nodded, "Why do I get the impression that you seem to be trying to get around the question?"

Fasha found herself at loss for words since what Bardock said was correct. She had been thrown some kind of a trick question whose every possible answer could potentially elicit an unwelcome response from him. Had she answered it had been good, Bardock would respond by stating that it was indeed good, otherwise she wouldn't have left. However, had she answered it had been taxing, the response would be another question probing the reason why she still wanted to carry on. Simply put, the question had placed her in a no-win situation.

"I admit you're right," she sighed in defeat, "Critical as ever. You haven't changed a bit, Bardock."

"You're too shallow. People can see right through you."

"I guess you're right…"

Their conversation was cut by the arrival of the Caesar salad and garlic bread. The waitress felt very guilty for so rudely interrupting their profound moment with her out-of-place cheerfulness and apologised fervently. Bardock didn't care and Fasha stated—albeit in a somewhat dejected tone—that it was alright and accepted the side dishes with a forced smile. Eyes focused on her bowl of salad, she tossed the greens in silence, unsure what to say next.

"Don't feel bad about that. That's how you are, there's nothing wrong with that," said Bardock. He took another sip from his glass of margarita to help him relax and go past the conversational barrier. "I'm fine, by the way. And yes, I still train regularly, sometimes with my grandsons."

Now that Bardock had managed to get an exchange going, Fasha slackened from the tension. "No wonder they're so strong for boys their age, especially Goten. His techniques are very advanced, and he's on par with His Highness. You and Gohan have taught him well."

"Hmph. I hope you remember I aspired to be even stronger than some of you, and it's only natural I want them to follow my lead."

"I believe you've achieved your dream, Bardock. Scouters don't lie," Fasha pointed at the green gadget over her left eye, "and it says you're even stronger than me now. Have you been training relentlessly?"

Bardock just shrugged as he took a slice of bread. "It's not like I have anything else to do when the boys are at school besides that and cleaning the house."

"To think one of the strongest Saiyans is doing household chores for little kids. Who wouldn't love that?"

"Goten's an F5-scale tornado and Gohan's busy juggling his studies, cooking, and shopping for groceries. Someone has to keep everything neat and tidy."

The mood had gotten lighter and more jovial than before, and the conversation between the two grownups somehow just flowed uninhibited. In no time, Bardock and Fasha succeeded in making themselves comfortable in the company of each other. The main course arrived soon after, and the opportunity was used to talk about the events that had taken place since their last meeting, which was even before Gohan was born. They even went on to discuss about Gohan and Goten, the latter's friendship with Trunks, the methods employed by Bardock to train them, about Borgos who now worked as a butcher for a living, and various other things.

In just fifteen minutes, Bardock and Fasha finished everything on the plates, leaving absolutely no trace of food behind. The greens and slices of breads were no exception; they effortlessly wolfed them down as though they had been nothing but mere peanuts. All that was left were their beverages, and since alcoholic drinks weren't meant to be consumed in huge chugs, they took their time and downed them slowly while continuing their conversation.

"Alright, now that we're done with our meal…" said Fasha after dabbing her mouth with her napkin, "… why don't you continue with the reason for our meet-up here?"

There was no further delaying the inevitable, and Bardock knew it. This was the moment he had been preparing himself for, and with just a few words his world would change. For better or for worse, that he wasn't quite sure, but the only way to find out was to proceed forward. Besides, if he kept stalling, the whole meet-up would be a waste, he would have rallied his courage for nothing, and he wouldn't be able to get rid of the emotional chains he had been struggling to break free from.

Bardock sipped his now diluted drink and cleared his thought in preparation of a lengthy string of sentences. "Earlier tonight," he began, "After dinner, Goten nagged me to accompany him to watch his favourite show on the television. I was going to do the laundry, but he forced me to stay. It quickly got very annoying and I snapped."

Fasha was left in puzzlement as to where this conversation was going, but she continued listening to her friend as he carried on. "He got very scared, and I realised I was a bit over the line. Although he was being selfish, I shouldn't have shouted at him. Well, he apologised and in the end I stayed with him throughout the show. It was quite amusing, no wonder Goten likes it so much."

"I hope you didn't call me here just to tell me you've taken a liking to a children's show," Fasha teased with a sly smirk.

"I'm not done yet," replied Bardock in a rather curt manner, "Now what was I going to say… oh, yes. That's when it occurred to me. Call me crazy, but I felt like a voice in my head was trying to tell me something about forgiveness."

At the word 'forgiveness', Fasha's eyes flashed a glimmer of hope although she managed to extinguish it quickly. Bardock might have finally been able to get rid of his pride and obsession to keep her away from his mind, but she wouldn't count on it just yet. It was too early to jump into conclusions, and all she had to do right now was listen carefully.

Bardock continued telling his story about this particular topic carrying the virtue of mercy. According to him, the voice had made him think hard about his constant tendency to dismiss Fasha's attempts to reconnect with him all this time. He found it difficult to believe he had easily granted Goten forgiveness and even gotten along with him again in no time, but at the same time he still bore a grudge against his longtime friend. One might argue it was because Goten was his grandson whom he saw every day and as such took priority over his friends, but he saw the argument as being only partially correct, since he believed everybody deserved a second chance.

Bardock also mentioned having taught Gohan when he was Goten's age about the importance of being merciful and forgiving toward other people, and how he felt he shouldn't have done that if he still found it hard to forgive. He believed he had been a hypocrite all along, and he hated himself with passion for that. Fasha felt really bad for having brought this problem upon him; if she hadn't made the decision to leave, none of these things would happen, but now the fact was otherwise.

"That's why I called, Fasha. All this time I've been living in contrast to my words. What a fool I am," said the man, "What kind of a man can't live up to his words? I don't deserve to be my grandsons' teacher when it comes to virtues of life."

Having not seen this soft side of Bardock for ages, Fasha became very sympathetic. "What are you saying? You know that's not true. I've known them for five years, and I can tell they've been brought up well. You've done a fine job, Bardock."

"Hmph… I still don't deserve what you say. You can save that for a minute later," Bardock smirked knowingly.

Fasha was bewildered at her friend's enigmatic response. "What… do you mean?"

"Let me demonstrate to you what I mean, and that I mean what I say."

Bardock reached for something below the table and showed it to Fasha, much to her surprise and initial incredulity. It was a bouquet of flowers that looked like cup-shaped bulbs blooming on stems with three petals, each and every one of them white in colour. The lady was well aware of the meaning of this particular variant of flower, but everything seemed to happen so fast she couldn't believe her eyes that this came from the man who had been shunning him for quite some time now.

"I never get meanings of flowers right…" Bardock rubbed the back of his head, a behaviour he had passed down to his grandsons. He then handed the bouquet to Fasha. "But people say white tulip symbolises forgiveness, so there."

Again, hope sparked in Fasha's eyes, but this time she made no conscious attempt to suppress it. "That means… you've finally let go—"

"Don't torture yourself by speculations," Bardock interjected. For once in his life, he found himself overcoming his pride with little problem, perhaps since he had come this far and it was too late to turn back. "I've forgiven you. I hope we can have another start to our friendship."

* * *

Gohan had seen everything, and he now knew why his grandfather had been acting very much unlike himself lately.

Taking care not to give himself away to Bardock and Fasha, he stayed low, made his payment at the cashier, and sneaked out of the restaurant. Thanks to his hoodie, he was able to conceal his identity and spy on the grownups, but his supper was less than enjoyable because of all the pressure. Luckily for him, he too was able to mask his energy signature, a convenient little trick he had picked up from Goten and Trunks, so he managed to avoid detection by Fasha's scouter.

With his face still under the hood, Gohan scurried hastily through the cold, way ahead of Bardock who was still talking with his friend. He initially felt really bad for spying on them, but at least now he knew his grandfather was alright. Ever since his first meeting with the Praetorian, he had always suspected there was something between them, more than just knowing each other. He never thought, though, that their relationship had been convoluted and rough until before tonight. Nonetheless, he was glad that Bardock had made amends, since this would mean much less tension the next time he and Fasha met to supervise Goten and Trunks's play date session.

The rest of Gohan's trip back home was rather uneventful, and he was able to cover one-and-a-half kilometres in just ten minutes without even breaking a sweat. He planned to go straight to bed, but when he opened the door, he could hear voices from the television although the lights in the living room were off. To his surprise, there, sitting on the couch, was his brother, watching a midnight news program he was unsure he could even understand.

Gohan seated himself just beside the very sleepy little boy. "I thought you've fallen asleep when I went out."

"I can't… sleep…" replied Goten as he leaned on Gohan's side, "… but I'm sleepy."

Gohan knew how excruciating it was to be unable to bring one's self to sleep even though the body was screaming and pleading to get some rest. Fortunately, he knew a little trick to get around this problem; when he was little, his mother used to give him a certain drink whenever he had difficulty sleeping. Intent on doing the same, he led his brother to the kitchen and poured him a cup of milk which he heated up with a small sphere of energy. Goten took the cup gratefully and carefully sipped the hot drink after being convinced by Gohan that it would help him go back to sleep easily.

After finishing his cup, Gohan took Goten to their bedroom and tucked him in again. Now feeling more eased than before, he took off his hoodie and stored it back in the wardrobe and changed into his pyjamas before climbing on the bed to have the rest he so badly deserved. It had been an adventurous night, alright, but the reward was somewhat worth the effort.

"Gohan?"

"What is it, little guy?"

"Is grandpa okay?"

Gohan knew this question would eventually be asked. "He's okay. Now why dontcha just let it go and sleep?"

"Really? Where did he go? Do you know?" asked Goten again. Instead of calming down, he got even more agitated knowing that Bardock was doing just fine.

"Goten, I'm tired and so sleepy…" Gohan protested gently, "Can I get some sleep now?"

"Nuh-uh! C'mon, tell me!"

Gohan could only sigh as his brother kept pushing him for answers. He had gotten himself entangled in Goten's net of curiosity and one didn't simply escape from it, so he told him everything he had seen during his little espionage mission, starting from where Bardock had gone, whom he had met, the reason of their meet-up, and the core of their conversation which revolved around rekindling of their friendship. He believed the conversation was private, so it was only natural that he didn't divulge everything to a trigger-happy little kid who couldn't be trusted to keep secrets. The details were too heavy for Goten to digest, anyway.

His big brother's recount was more than enough to fill Goten with happiness, but he managed to suppress it deep inside. If Bardock really had gone to meet Fasha and they were now getting along together again, he didn't need to pass the letter to him. The letter—cleverly crafted by Trunks with a rather adult tone—was originally meant as a means to get Bardock and Fasha to meet each other, and the one in Goten's possession was a rather mawkish love letter of some sort, written under the false name of Fasha. Trunks had its counterpart; the one he was supposed to pass to Fasha had similar contents and was, of course, 'signed' by Bardock.

However, with things having played out this way, the Saiyan children's plan had been rendered absolutely useless. Goten was quite disappointed this time the credits didn't go to him and Trunks, but that was beside the point. The most important thing was that their goal had been fulfilled, and the method through which it was achieved didn't matter. Nobody could have guessed this crazy twist would happen, except it did, and everything had gone better than expected.

"Does grandpa have a crush on Fasha, Gohan?" asked Goten with a very innocent tone.

Gohan's eyes dilated at Goten's words. When he was seven, he still had no idea about the concept of love and romance. "W-what? Crush? Where did you learn that word?"

"Trunks said that. He said when two people like each other, they're in a crush," the little brother explained.

"Woah… kids these days," Gohan shook his head incredulously, "You grow too fast. Is it because of the television shows?"

When he was informed their meet-up had nothing to do with crushes and silly lovey-dovey stuff, only pure friendship, Goten became slightly disappointed since Trunks's prediction was incorrect. However, it didn't matter one bit now; he couldn't wait to inform his best friend of this particular occurrence, and he was sure he would greet the news with equal excitement.

One thing for sure, their next play date session would be filled with so much laughter and glee.


	7. Johari Window

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

Another fortnight crept rather uneventfully and slowly since Bardock and Fasha's fateful meet-up. However, a certain pair of children couldn't wait for it to finally pass so that they could meet with each other again and share the story of the achievement of their ultimate goal.

Everything seemed to proceed as usual that morning. There wasn't any extraordinary news circulating around the castle, and Praetorians and Royals alike would stick to their agenda for the rest of the day: carrying out their duties for the former, and enjoying their life of great finesse without any care whatsoever for the latter. Of course, exception was always present, and in this case it was in the form of the Prince and his trusted aide.

It was Friday, which meant Trunks would get to meet Goten in his play date session sometime after lunch, after the Son boys were dismissed from school. He was not the only one who was excited, the other one being Fasha; after meeting up with Bardock two weeks ago, she could finally dismiss the worry of having to bump into said man while supervising the two children playing together. In fact, she was now looking forward to it, although she had been seeing him every three nights since then in order to catch up.

Every time during a breakfast on Fridays, Trunks never failed to narrate to his parents details of what he and Goten would be doing later on the afternoon, excluding those that would lead them into trouble, of course. Being a troublemaker by nature and compounded to the fact that there was no one in the castle to play with, he always turned into a despicable spoilsport whenever he met and was paired with Goten, his one and only best friend who also doubled as his partner in crime. That was what the Queen didn't know; Trunks and Goten sometimes pulled pranks on various people in the vicinity of the marketplace, and although Fasha and Gohan had always reprimanded them for being such naughty little children, Trunks was always safe from Bulma's wrath, thanks to the Praetorian who would cover up for him despite the fact that she knew it wasn't the best thing to do.

And as usual, four hours of raw, uninhibited fun awaited Trunks and Goten this afternoon. There was absolutely nothing that could prevent them from meeting each other, just like how it had always been…

… or was there?

* * *

Ready for breakfast, the Royal Family of three had gathered around the rather huge table in the dining hall. On it was a cornucopia of delicious food and drinks, even more mouth-watering that what one would find in a Commoner's most luxurious party, and being one of the very few fortunate people in the entire Saiyan Kingdom, Trunks had the privilege to eat absolutely every delicacy even Nobles could only dream of.

When Bulma gave a cue to dig in, Trunks gobbled up everything he set his sight on. He was sitting across his parents; as such, he could see Bulma eating in a civilized manner, as usual, in complete contrast to the extremely voracious way he and Vegeta devoured their food. However, something seemed slightly off today; either he was imagining it, or his mother was somewhat downcast that morning and spoke only few words, while usually she was all bubbly and would ask about what he was going to do with Goten in the afternoon.

He dismissed it, though, thinking his mother was having some kind of a problem he shouldn't meddle in, and proceeded to divulge his plan for the afternoon as usual. He rambled on and on and wouldn't stop talking about the fun he would surely have, but this time he also took the opportunity to express his gratitude for being was very glad that he and his family were destined to be Royals. Because of that, money and authority were almost at the bottom of their list of things to worry about.

"You know, mom, being a Royal is great," he said between his handfuls of food, "If only Goten had the chance to live like this, I'm sure he'd be happy."

At the sound of Goten's name, Vegeta dropped whatever it was he was doing and Bulma cringed. Quicker than a split second, uneasiness filled the dining hall and sent the mood plummeting all the way down, and possibly one could even scoop the tension lingering in the air. Trunks noticed this, and fearing he might have said something wrong, he stopped wolfing down his breakfast and locked gazes with his mother in confusion, his mouth slightly agape, but she quickly averted her eyes from his.

"Wh-what's wrong, mom?" asked Trunks, his voice shaking. Never before in his life had he seen his parents being as tense as now, but he didn't need to think hard to notice this situation only screamed problems.

Bulma didn't answer the question, which prompted Trunks to repeat it. Only until he asked for the third time did she finally speak. "Trunks… it's time we told you something you should know."

Hearing the somewhat dejected tone in which she replied, Trunks became worried. Trouble would come, and it sure was something he hadn't expected ever before. "Know… what? Mom, c'mon, you're acting weird…"

"I've discussed about it with your father, and…" Bulma paused. She was unsure how to break the news, but now there was no turning back.

"Discussed about what? Whatcha talking about, mom?"

"… Trunks, honey. I'm really sorry, but—"

"This is getting nowhere. If you can't perform a simple matter such as telling him, then let me!" Vegeta interjected very rudely. He succeeded in gaining an incredulous look from Trunks and one which seemed as though pleading him to stop from Bulma. He didn't care, though, and turning to his son, he said in a cold, emotionless tone, "Listen up, boy. You will not go out and meet that Commoner ever again. That's what the woman was trying to tell you, but she didn't have the guts to do it."

This revelation came as a total shocker to Trunks. He had been meeting Goten for five years and his parents had never expressed any concern before, so why now? He couldn't believe his ears, so he did a double take and even asked Vegeta to repeat his statement, which the King did in total exasperation. He didn't hear it wrong, and when he turned to Bulma, she could only stoop her head sadly, powerless to prevent such a hard blow from assaulting him.

"What do you mean, I can't go out anymore? You've never had a problem with that before!" said Trunks.

"Silence! You dare talk back to me?" Vegeta growled with authority, "Starting this second, you are forbidden from going out of the castle grounds ever again. Mingling around with those lowlife beings is detestable, and I prohibit it! Do I make myself clear?"

Hearing his father referring to Goten as a lowlife being, Trunks's anger was triggered. For the first time in his life, he defied his parent, perhaps because it was his best—and in fact, the one and only—friend whom they were talking about. "Don't say that, dad! I've learned a lot from him and Gohan!"

From then on, things went downhill. Trunks went on and on, protesting against the radical decision to cut short his and Goten's play date session, while Vegeta seemed to be able to counter every single word coming out from his mouth. The argument, which started as an insignificant exchange of words, soon escalated into a heated verbal battle with relatively unpleasant words spewing out thick and fast from Trunks's mouth.

Bulma tried to mediate the conflict, but to no avail; she was taken aback by how Vegeta dismissed her and told her off not to interfere. She had no idea things would take such an ugly turn of events, and blamed herself for not being quick enough to inform Trunks of the news. Knowing the overly stubborn nature of both her mate and son, there was no way she could stop them in this state.

"I don't care who you are. My son or not, I am your King, and if you still want to live under my reign, you will obey my rules!" Vegeta roared, "You will not go out to interact with that lowlife again, and this decision is final!"

"Darn it, dad, stop talking about my friend like that! He's not a bad—"

"And you, I said STOP INTERACTING WITH HIM!"

With a swing of an arm, Vegeta flung a sphere of energy at Trunks's plate, and the resulting explosion destroyed the dining table and sent everything on the table flying in all directions. The boy managed to leap back just before it hit, but a knife hurled by the force of the blast grazed his cheek, narrowly missing his eyes. He, as well as Bulma, could only stand in silence and total incredulity; it had never occurred to them that Vegeta could take things this far, and they couldn't believe their eyes when said man actually did.

No one of the three Royals in the room made even the slightest move after the explosion. Trunks and Vegeta, each in a defensive stance, refused to shift their gaze from each other's eyes, and Bulma, safe in the protection of an energy barrier she had conjured earlier, was too deep in her disbelief to even say a word.

After what seemed to be an eternity of a tense standoff, Trunks finally relaxed although he was still burning with debilitating fury deep down inside. "Picking fights with a kid? That's really lame," he said as he walked out of the dining hall and slammed the huge door shut with an invisible energy wave.

Bulma totally didn't see this coming. Although she and Vegeta had reached a consensus that Trunks shouldn't spend too much time in town to prevent anything really unnecessary from happening, she disapproved of the way Vegeta handled the situation. Knowing the damage her mate and son would surely cause if things continued to proceed this way, she knew she had to have a word with him.

Before Bulma could do that, however, as though knowing what she was about to say, he abruptly turned to face her and glowered. "I don't want to hear anything from you, woman. Stay out of this!"

"Vegeta, please, stop this. You've gone too far. This isn't like what we've discussed!" Bulma retorted.

"This is my Kingdom, and I'm free to do everything MY way," Vegeta growled again. Truth be told, he didn't care one bit if people didn't like the way he handled things, since according to him they can just "… forfeit your Royal status along with that brat, and join that roster of miserable vermin living on the filthy outskirts of the city. Just stay back!"

Disappointed and totally dumbfounded, Bulma sighed as she gave up. Vegeta's arrogance had reached a record high this time and she knew words couldn't reach him in his current state, so she too walked out of the hall, leaving the excessively proud King alone. Right when she set her feet on the colonnade, a Praetorian who claimed he had seen Trunks walking to his chamber asked her what had taken place, since the Prince looked very upset.

"You don't need to know right now," she replied. However, she kept walking without even making an eye contact.

The Queen's unusual conduct surprised the Prateorian even more. "Your Majesty… my apologies for sounding rude. Asking permission to assist you in any way I can."

"If you want to help me, perhaps you can stay here. When the King comes out, go in and clean the mess you see," said Bulma, "That'd be all. I have something more important at hand."

The male Saiyan acknowledged the order and saluted her before making way. Then, with guilt, confusion, and sadness present in the exact same percentage in her heart, Bulma almost absentmindedly strolled down the hallways and headed to her son's chamber. The skirmish must have left Trunks as bewildered as she was and there was no telling how he might handle it; being a volatile little boy he was, he could sometimes throw a tantrum and get a little bit defiant in this kind of situation.

What she did know was that she needed to be there for him to lean on.

* * *

Indignation.

That was the only emotion Trunks felt right now. Never before had he heard his father not only use a derogatory term to address his best friend, but also roar at him and actually intended to hurt him. That energy blast he sent after the verbal brawl was for all intents and purposes serious and was no laughing matter; had he not dodged it in time, he would have suffered more than a simple cut on his cheek, perhaps some burns at best.

In contrast to how it seemed to be, the cut was deeper than he thought, since blood kept oozing out of it and just wouldn't stop no matter how much pressure he applied on it. He opened his drawer and reached for a box which he took with him and opened, revealing bandages, wipes, and other paraphernalia needed to provide first aid. Before he could take anything from it, however, he was interrupted by a knocking sound from outside.

Aside from Goten, he didn't want to talk to anyone right now, so he didn't respond. Leaving it be didn't make a difference, though, since after two more series of unanswered knocks the door was opened, and into the chamber entered Bulma. He wanted to send her away at first, but he succeeded in controlling himself and suppressing the urge; it was his own mother after all, and she was at the very bottom of his list of people not to talk to.

Bulma, in genuine concern, approached her visibly furious son, intent on consoling him. She sat on the couch, just beside Trunks, but he faced away since he really didn't have anything to talk about. However, Bulma's presence somehow diluted the resentment in his heart and he softened a bit.

"Are you okay, honey?" asked Bulma in a very tender tone, further diminishing Trunks's hate.

"I'm okay," replied the son, still turned away from his mother.

"What about the wound? Does it hurt?"

"Mom, it doesn't hurt. I told you, I'm okay!"

She didn't buy it. If he had been okay, Trunks wouldn't have needed a first aid kit. "You may be okay, but the wound sure isn't. Look, it's bleeding pretty bad…"

Bulma took a gauze sponge from the kit and used it to wipe the blood away. Then, she poured some antiseptic liquid on it and swabbed it on the cut; when the alcohol came into contact with the exposed flesh, it stung so bad Trunks cringed, but he knew it had to be done to prevent it from getting infected. Finally, she applied another sterile gauze and secured it over the wound with a breathable bandage, sealing it and promoting quick healing.

"There, that should do it," she said, "Don't open it, or else it'll take longer to heal."

Trunks was amazed at the efficiency his mother dressed his wound as though it had been child's play. It was no wonder, though, since she once served as a medic in the Royal Army in her youth. Sounding half-hearted, he thanked her, but Bulma knew he meant it with his words.

Now feeling considerably more relaxed than before, Trunks laid his head on his mother's lap like a little child. He would only did this when he felt really sad, and with his father's pride passed down to him, it had been ages since he was forced into admitting and giving in to his sorrow. Nobody except Bulma, not even Fasha and Goten, knew about the existence of this particularly soft side of him.

"I'm sad, mom. I really am," he said after a period of comfortable silence.

Bulma understood the great sorrow underlying Trunks's words. Although it wasn't exactly her fault, she felt really guilty for having brought this misfortune upon him. She could only wish Vegeta hadn't had lost his temper and thrown his uncontrolled outburst like that, but it didn't matter now. Everything had happened and there was no way she could turn back time.

"Why did dad have to do that?" he continued, "He never acted like that before. What's wrong, mom?"

The grownup had the answer to her son's question, but felt reluctant to spill the truth just yet and apologised instead. "Honey, I'm sorry about what happened…"

"No, you don't have to be! It's him I'm mad at!" Trunks growled.

"You have every reason to be mad. I know, I never saw your father like that before. But we only wanted you to be safe…"

"Oh yeah? That blast didn't look like something that can protect me. And how could he say Goten is a lowlife being? He's a Saiyan too, just like us!"

Bulma sighed dejectedly. "Trunks, honey. You have to know your father has this…" she stopped before continuing, trying to find the right word, "… issue, I guess, with Commoners and even Nobles. They… I think they disgust him."

Trunks was taken aback by this revelation. He didn't know his father had been harbouring such hatred of people of lower class all this time, so he asked Bulma about the cause. She rather saved it for another day, but the little Prince kept pressing her to divulge the details. Knowing how stubborn he could be, she did as asked.

According to her, Vegeta was a very power-hungry man. Back when he was just a boy, he was indoctrinated by his parents to always strive to be the strongest Saiyan there ever was. And indeed, for many, many years, he was second only to his late father, even surpassing his own mother. However, at the time he was crowned King, he observed gradual unbalancing—a power creep of some sort, as it were—surfacing among the people of his own generation, much to his indignation. Still clinging resolutely to the tenet etched deep into his head and heart by his father and believing as long as he was alive he was the strongest ever, he was unable to accept the hard fact that other Saiyans with high power levels were emerging from basically every corner of the Kingdom. Vegeta had been training extra hard so as to prevent anybody from surpassing, but somehow his progress was very slow to the point that the two strongest Praetorians, Broly and Fasha, were only a few notches below him in terms of strength. Although he was still the strongest, the fact that random people—as he put it—could come that close to him really upset him to no end, and eventually became the very reason why he began to exhibit disdain toward them.

As though finding the story totally ridiculous, Trunks sat up and stared at his mother with wide-eyed, incredulous gaze. "That's all? He hates them all just because of that, and now he's taking it out on me? That's not fair! I'm meeting Goten today no matter what!"

"I know it's unfair to you, but please understand me. For the time being, it might be best if you do as he said," Bulma desperately implored. Truth be told, she was very scared of Vegeta right now.

"But mom, I—"

"Please, honey. There's nothing we can do right now," Bulma interjected, "Can you do it? It's for our own good… and for Goten's, too."

Trunks stooped his head in sadness since he knew his mother was telling the truth. He requested for one last meeting with Goten, but Bulma pled for him to just let it go for now. She would, however, have a word with Vegeta after the crazy tension had died down and if possible try to influence him to ease the verdict, although they both knew the effort would be more likely than not in vain. It was hope enough for Trunks, though, so he finally conceded.

Trunks asked his mother to have Fasha inform Gohan about the difficulty later at noon, when his and Goten's class had been dismissed, and to let them know they didn't need to wait by the marketplace, to which Bulma nodded in understanding and promised to do it first thing. She then hugged her son tight and again apologised for what had happened despite Trunks's insistence that she shouldn't feel sorry.

"I promise I'll make up for this," she whispered softly to Trunks before kissing him on the forehead, "I love you, sweetie."

"… I love you too, mom," came Trunks's reply.

With that, she let go of her hug and left the child alone in his chamber. Although Trunks had calmed down by a considerable degree, he still couldn't shrug aside the very likely possibility that Goten would be looking for him. He imagined his best friend would be worried; everything had been going so smoothly previously, but suddenly something just had to come between them, preventing them to meet again until heaven knows when. Goten deserved to know the truth and since he was planning for a profound heart-to-heart talk—among other things to talk about—with him, over-the-scouter method wouldn't be enough.

Trunks was an avid prankster, so it was no surprise that plans to have a talk with Goten had begun to brew in his head by now. There were a number of them with some involving Fasha, and after sifting through the schemes and evaluating them with careful scrutiny, he finally settled on a particular one. According to him, with his somewhat remarkable ability, this one had the most chance to succeed and nobody would even be aware of its execution. And better yet, unlike his play date sessions with his best friend, he didn't need any approval whatsoever to carry out his plan.

His heart was thumping with anxiety and excitement, but he knew it was going to be worth the effort. All he needed to do now was wait until the right time to set things into action finally arrived.

* * *

_Post-note: Johari window is a cognitive psychological tool to help people understand their interpersonal communication and relationships. If you're curious about it, just Google it or look at it on Wikipedia and you'll understand the reason why I chose that term for this chapter's title._


	8. Sweet Little Lies

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

"Hello?"

"Gohan, this is Fasha. I'm sorry, are you in the middle of class?"

"Oh, hi. No, it's recess time. What's up?"

Gohan had never expected a call from Fasha. Usually, if it was Friday, he would just take Goten after school to the marketplace and wait until she and Trunks showed up, then have lunch together with them. That was the procedure currently taking place and it was the way it had been ever since a long time ago, so this call had to be of a high degree of priority or urgency.

And indeed, it was urgent. Fasha informed him that Trunks was currently having a rather difficult time and because of that the play date sessions had to be suspended indefinitely. She didn't elaborate on the reason, though.

"What happened to him? Is something wrong?" asked Gohan when he learned about the situation.

Fasha had been specifically and very explicitly instructed not to divulge any details pertaining to the difficulty, so she had to fabricate a lie. "His Highness… has been down with fever for some days now," she replied while trying to sound as convincing as possible, "Her Majesty is worried he might get worse if he goes out, and we don't want you and Goten to catch the sickness as well."

"I see… well, Goten won't like this," the teenager sighed. He could only hope his little brother would understand and not make a scene when he informed him about this later.

"His Highness was very sad, too. I'm very sorry about this."

"Hey, don't worry, Fasha. Health isn't something we can predict. Thanks for informing me, I'll pass the news to Goten later."

"Alright, then. Do relay my greetings to him and your grandfather."

"Sure. I hope His Highness gets well soon."

After that conversation, Gohan hung up and returned to conversing with his group of friends. Some heard the bit when he said 'His Highness' and made a wild, but correct, guess that the one on the line was someone related to the Prince, most probably a Praetorian who acted as a mediator. There was no point in hiding it and Gohan confirmed this; everybody was aware of the fact that he and the other members of his family had this special relationship with the Royal Family.

One of his friends, a blonde female, was very envious of Gohan's luck. She had met Goten several times and also seen Trunks in the television, and according to her they were mercilessly adorable. The thought of those two boys happily playing with each other was enough to make her melt into a puddle sticking so stubbornly to the floor. To prevent that from happening, Gohan had to support her when he saw her getting limp, her tail furiously dancing around, and helped her return to her feet.

The shrill sound of the bell filled the air not shortly afterward, marking the end of the early afternoon recess period. The students marched back into their respective classrooms for the last school hour of the week, which might account for why they did so somewhat enthusiastically and cheerfully. Gohan followed his friends into the classroom and saw his teacher already waiting by the door. He was the last person to arrive, and since this particular lady didn't like to wait for a long time, he quickly scurried inside to save his class from five solid minutes of punctuality-related rants.

As he seated himself on his chair, Gohan prepared himself for the subject most important to him and, indirectly, Goten: calculus. Mathematics was his little brother's weakest link, and as such he had to teach him so the poor child wouldn't fall behind. Gohan was an abnormally smart boy and he didn't even need to try in order to score a perfect mark in tests, but he still needed to at least look diligent to give a positive impression. Otherwise, what would Goten think upon learning that all this time, he had been tutored by someone as clueless as him? It would be like a mentally challenged man leading his equally retarded friend.

But it seemed although the spirit was willing, the flesh was weak. Throughout the class, he didn't pay even the slightest bit of attention to his teacher since he was brainstorming about how he should inform Goten about the suspension of his play date session with Trunks. They had been doing this for five years without fail, and would his little brother just readily accept the fact that suddenly it had to come to a halt for an indefinite period of time? No, he didn't think so. There was bound to be some whining and nagging, and that was if Goten decided to play nice.

It didn't feel like it, but an hour had fleeted without Gohan knowing it. If the bell hadn't rung, he would still be spacing out until someone yanked him back to reality. Now having comprehended he had missed an hour's worth of lesson, he inquired of his friend about what was taught during the class. He was informed it was about some ruthless second order ordinary differential equations, but he just shrugged it aside nonchalantly—this action succeeded in gaining him looks of incredulity from his friends, but they knew for sure he had the brains to back up his words—since for him there really was nothing new. In record time, he darted out of the classroom and again breathed the crisp mid-autumn air.

His next objective was to extract his little brother from the ocean of students. Around six months ago it wasn't a problem since he just had to consult his scouter, but with Goten now constantly masking his power level he was forced to employ another method. It wasn't that it was exactly difficult, though; usually the little boy would hang around with his friends although they could be anywhere, but it didn't matter. He only needed to locate the children's energy signatures and simply go there and pay them a visit.

Sure enough, when Gohan saw them, Goten was there, fooling around happily with his friends. He didn't want to interrupt his fun, so he waited patiently until the little brother was done playing or noticed his presence, whichever was earlier. It seemed the latter was the case, since not even a minute into the wait, the children were already crowding around him like a flock of sheep. For some reason, he was very popular among Goten's friends, to the point that they referred to him affectionately as 'big brother'.

"Hi, Gohan! Are we gonna go now?" asked the little brother. He still wanted to play, but to him Trunks was more important and he didn't want to keep his rather impatient Royal friend waiting.

Gohan gave a sigh and nodded weakly. Acknowledged this as a positive reply to his question, Goten returned to the bench, took his bookbag, and presented himself again before the elder Son, ready to go for another round of fun with his number-one friend. They were ready to go, and the brothers waved at the children before departing, which was reciprocated with more cheerful shouts of 'goodbye's and 'see you's.

As usual, Goten rambled like an overperforming dynamo as they made their way to the parking zone, and continued on even when they had settled inside Gohan's pod. It was the usual subject; everyday he would recount lots of things, including but not limited to what he had learned at school, how he had spent his recess periods with his friends, and the praises—and reprimands, if any—he had gotten from his teachers.

He was so engrossed in telling his story he didn't realise they had long overshot the marketplace. He finally did, though, and frantically told Gohan to immediately make a U-turn, but the big brother kept pressing forward. This of course prompted Goten to whine and question the reason why they weren't going to visit the marketplace today.

Assaulted by the seven-year-old's unending stream of complaints, he struggled to keep his head level since he was behind the wheel. "Goten, calm down. We're not going there today."

"Huh? But how come?" Goten frowned in disbelief.

"Fasha called me this morning. She said His Highness is sick, so he can't go out to play."

"Sick? Why did he get sick?"

"Well, if you're not careful, you can get sick. For example, if you're out in the rain for too long, you may catch a fever."

"But Trunks is strong. Why can't he play?"

"If he does, he'll get even worse. You and I can be sick, too."

"So is he okay now? Can we visit Trunks? I don't want him to be alone—"

"Goten, I'm trying to drive. Save them for later, okay?"

With his words, Gohan succeeded in silencing the motor mouth. The way Goten kept throwing questions irritated him to no end, but he managed to keep calm and not shout at him. After all, curiosity was one of the defining traits of his little brother, and he couldn't blame him for that; he remembered he used to ask lots and lots of questions to his parents when he was just a kid, which might have contributed to his superb intelligence for someone his age.

However, Goten perceived the words as a reproach, and as a result he could only fix his gaze on the road in sadness as though it had been the most interesting thing in the world. Gohan didn't miss the dejected expression on the child's face, so after a moment of silence he took the initiative to strike a conversation again just to keep him smiling. To tell the truth, he wasn't used at all to Goten being all silent like this.

"Hey, li'l bro, you hungry?" he asked, to which Goten responded by nodding weakly. It was indeed around lunchtime, and had he not driven so slowly they would have arrived home, minutes away from enjoying a usually still delicious reheated meal.

"I'm sooo hungry," Goten drummed his fingers on his stomach to emphasise the veracity of his claim.

"You know, why don't we make up for the lost time?" asked Gohan again, "I know this restaurant you're gonna love so much."

At his brother's proposition, Goten became high as ever again and his eyes dilated to the size of his fist. "Wow, really? Yay! C'mon, Gohan, let's go there!"

And so, although they were only a kilometre short from home, they made a detour and headed to the aforementioned eating place. It was actually the restaurant where Bardock and Fasha had met two weeks ago, and ever since first eating there, their food had secured a special place in Gohan's heart. Indeed, being a restaurant, the dishes were slightly pricier compared to those they usually ate at food courts, but it wasn't like he went there every day. Besides, his current goal was to cheer Goten up and provide him compensation of some sort for not being able to meet Trunks, and he would do anything to achieve just that.

Despite the fact that it was lunchtime, the restaurant wasn't as crowded as they had thought it would be. Gohan and Goten only had to wait for around five minutes before a waiter led them to a vacant table—a rather wide one, but they would need it to hold the copious amount of food they were going to order—and kindly handed them the menu. After flipping through the pages, knowing what the aftermath would be, the older boy settled on just a plate of simple seafood paella, while the little kid greedily ordered everything he found irresistible.

People said fast service was one of this restaurant's strong points, and they certainly were correct. Not even ten minutes after placing their order, the food arrived at the table. Seeing his little brother getting more and more impatient by the second, Gohan smiled and gave a cue to start eating, and Goten relentlessly wolfed down everything he could get his hands on. Little did he knew, though, this was only the first of two waves of food, and when he finally cleared the table his little stomach was already stuffed. Gohan had anticipated this beforehand, so he helped downscale the serving size of the rest of the food and saved the best bits for Goten to eat.

After taking care of the bill, the boys headed back home, feeling all satiated thanks to the overwhelming amount of tasty goodness they had consumed. On their way back home, Goten incessantly expressed his gratitude and told Gohan how happy he was for being treated to a very good lunch. Although that meant no pocket money for the big brother for the following three school days, he was glad he could do something to keep the little ball of energy happy.

When they arrived home, Bardock was taken by surprise. He wasn't expecting them to return this soon and, just like Goten, asked why they weren't around the marketplace right now, having a good time with their castle-dweller friends. He only shrugged upon learning about Trunks's sickness and jokingly—in his own way—commented about how Royals weren't as strong as they thought they were, but Goten's surprisingly perceptive ears noted this remark. The little boy promptly defended his best friend, saying he was indeed very strong and he could testify for him since he had been play-fighting with him ever since they first knew how to fight.

Being a warrior he was, Goten's words occurred to Bardock as intriguing. If indeed he had been sparring with the Prince for that long, surely the children's fighting skills were on par. He saw this as an opportunity to indirectly gauge Trunks's abilities, so he challenged his grandson to a fight. Goten hesitated, knowing he wouldn't even have a candle's chance in a cyclone of beating his excessively strong and skilful grandfather, but Bardock insisted. Gohan too encouraged him to "… just give it a go. Show him what you've got!"

With that, they put dropped their belongings in their room and marched to a clearing in the woods, Bardock's traning ground of choice. Gohan agreed to tag along and be the referee, so when the two contenders were ready, he gave a signal to start.

A minute of silence followed with Bardock and Goten in defensive stance, carefully waiting for the other to make the first move. When the little warrior finally did, Bardock leapt into action; quicker than the eyes could follow, they disappeared from sight and exchanged blows mid-air before dashing somewhere else. One second they could be seen here, but the next they had shifted there. This process repeated for five more times before they finally landed on the ground again, creating a period of calm.

"Not bad, kid. Not many people can keep up with me," the veteran nodded, seemingly approving of what Goten was capable of.

Goten was flattered and subconsciously rubbed the back of his head and grinned sheepishly. Noticing this opportunity, Bardock dashed right behind his grandson with confounding speed and threw a kick before he could even react, sending him away from him. The kid landed around ten metres from where he had been previously, his face kissing the earth.

"Oooww… that's not fair!" Goten pouted as he heaved himself up.

"In the battlefield, everything goes. If you let your guard down like you did just now, it's your fault," Bardock smirked, "Hurry up and get ready! Or are you giving up already?"

Now back on his feet, Goten showed a determined look, intent on making his grandfather pay for what he had done. "I'm not! Now you're gonna get it, grandpa!"

"Well, come at me with all you've got."

There was no need to tell Goten twice. In a flash, he rushed toward Bardock and delivered quick, relentless strikes with his arms, feet, and tail, but every single attack was easily blocked or deflected. He was having difficulties, so in order to land at least one hit, he had to devise a strategy. And that was exactly what he did.

Goten suddenly Afterimaged in the middle of his flurry of punches and kicks, leading Bardock to believe he was going to attack from behind. However, the elder man saw no one when he turned around, and that was when it occurred to him that Goten had played a feint. It was too late to retaliate, though, since suddenly he found himself flying high into the air, thanks to an upward kick, followed by a barrage of energy blasts. Before he could recover, the child materialised above him and launched an invisible wave of energy, sending him tumbling down from the sky. At the last second, just before he hit the ground, he managed to reduce the impact by rolling and quickly returned to his feet.

Goten made his landing on the leafy earth very gracefully. "Howdcha like that? Cool, huh?" he exclaimed.

Bardock had to acknowledge it was a clever little trick Goten had pulled back then, although he just shrugged nonchalantly in reply. "Don't get cocky, kid. Believe me, it will be your own undoing."

Goten cocked his head to the left, not fully understanding the meaning behind words. It was not the best time for confusion, though; soon he found himself pressed to keep dodging attacks coming from Bardock who went all-out. Considering he was face-to-face with a seasoned warrior who had fought countless battles in the past, one couldn't agree more Goten was doing exceptionally well.

Gohan, who was watching from the sidelines, had had enough of waiting and decided to enter the fray. His sudden entrance created an opening for his little brother to turn the tide of the fight; now Goten was the one on the offensive. Gohan joined him in keeping his grandfather busy either dodging or blocking their blows, but as expected from the strongest Commoner there was, he faced little difficulty in dealing with even the two of them.

The fight lasted until five in the evening, and in the end, the brothers lost the intense sparring match. Despite their loss, Bardock acknowledged the fact that they had put up an excellent fight, and he praised them for that. Based on Goten's performance he could also roughly extrapolate the extent of Trunks's fighting abilities, and he concluded even in ten years' time they, as well as Gohan, would get nowhere even close to him assuming their growth curve was linear. It was contrary to his nature to just stay there and watch, though, so he too needed to keep training as long as he was alive and kicking.

Sweating excessively and panting in exhaustion, they returned to the house to have a round of nice, relaxing hot bath. Gohan let Bardock take a bath first, so he went into the kitchen to start preparing dinner while his brother waited in their room. Goten found it very tempting to just throw himself on the pillows, but he didn't want Gohan to growl at him for soiling the newly replaced bed sheet with dirt and sweat. With nothing to do and homework being at the very bottom of his list, he took a comic book from his bookshelf, intent on reading it while sitting peacefully at his desk.

Before he could even choose a book, however, a beeping sound from inside his bag caught his attention. The sound was exclusive to scouters, and it signified an incoming transmission. He could only wonder who it might be since none of his friends had ever called him on Friday evenings, but there was no point in pondering. He took the scouter from his bag, fitted it over his left eye, pressed the communication button, and greeted the caller.

"Goten?" said a soft voice with a unique rasp from over the line.

It was a voice Goten was very familiar with, and he didn't even to ask whom it belonged to. "Trunks! Are you okay? Are you feeling better now?" he asked with a whisper while stealthily scurrying to the front porch of the house out of fear of being busted.

At his friend's question, Trunks exhibited confusion, and it was evident in his voice. "Feeling better? I'm perfectly healthy. Whydcha ask?"

This time it was Goten's turn to get confused. "Huh? But Gohan told me Fasha said you're sick, so you can't go out to play!"

"W-what? She said that? She lied!" Trunks hissed, "Look, yeah, I couldn't play with you this afternoon, but that's not the reason!"

"So why didntcha come, Trunks? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, dummy. I want you to listen carefully, because this is very important. I don't have much time, mom's looking for me."

Goten signalled for Trunks to spill everything out, and so he did. The Prince told him to meet at the usual spot at midnight, just the two of them, so he could tell him about why he wasn't able to meet him as well as the extremely difficult situation he was in now. Goten hesitated at the proposition; without Fasha's supervision, a meeting with Trunks posed a very high degree of risk.

Trunks fully comprehended why his friend was concerned, but he reminded him even this conversation was illegal and that they had more often than not talked with each other in secret through their scouters. Besides, they could simply dissipate their energy signatures, so detection was out of the equation. Goten understood the point and was now slightly more willing to go with the plan, but even though they would be able to avoid detection, sneaking out of the house was a whole different story. On Fridays and Saturdays, Gohan had made it a habit to stay awake until late, either playing games in the computer or crafting statuettes to be sold so he could earn extra money.

Trunks thought for a while to help his friend in looking for a good excuse to sneak out. "Well, you can tell him you're—uh-oh, someone's on the door. I gotta hang up now."

"Trunks, wait!" Goten panicked. Without Trunks's help, he would be having difficulties fabricating a scenario in short notice. "What am I gonna say to Gohan? What if he doesn't believe me?"

"I dunno, think about it! Remember, the usual place, midnight."

As abruptly as their conversation had proceeded, Trunks hung up, leaving the spiky-haired Saiyan boy dumbfounded. He was on his own now; he could choose to simply disregard what he was instructed to do, but judging from the tone in which his friend had conveyed his message, it seemed the subject they were going to discuss about was of high importance. Besides, Trunks had taken the trouble of risking himself by making the call, and to Goten it was plain wrong to ignore his efforts.

To follow up, he worked his brain as hard as he could possibly manage, looking for possibilities of a believable plot. Several popped up into existence in his mind, but they were mostly basic and only a little kid would take them seriously. In order to make them more credible, Goten started weaving the ideas together and finally came up with a story; he decided to just use this to make his way out of the house tonight.

Whether or not the very sharp and keen Gohan would fall for his trick, it remained to be seen. So, armed with his work of art in his head, Goten mustered as much courage as he possibly could and headed to the kitchen. He would interrupt his brother, who was busy preparing dinner, and play his card.

He could only hope it would work. Otherwise, there would be no chance for him to go out and he would disappoint Trunks.


	9. Stories and Schemes

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

In the dead of the night, the marketplace was very much like a ghost town, and to say the overall atmosphere was creepy was an understatement.

The usually busy aisles were devoid of people, and the sight of hooks suspending from the roof of empty stalls, swaying back and forth in the breeze, just added to the scary factor. Every time a gust of wind picked up, storehouse shutters rattled and tarpaulin sheets fluttered violently the in reply. To make things even worse, the steel foundations of the stalls constantly emitted hair-raising creaking sounds in the wind, sending shivers down a certain boy's spine.

He couldn't take it anymore. Had Trunks known the wait was going to be this horrible, he would have chosen another place, but what was done couldn't be undone. How he wished he could curl into a ball and hide his head under his black jacket, but if he did so Goten wouldn't be able to find him since he would be blending so well with his surroundings.

According to Goten, he was on his way, but that was around fifteen minutes ago. Although he understood it would take some time for his friend to reach the marketplace since his house was situated on the fringes of the town, Trunks was starting to get impatient, and the unnerving ambience didn't help one bit. While waiting, he found himself unable to stop turning his head around as though anticipating a foe who might pop up out of nowhere and strike him down. The degree of his paranoia was almost unreal…

… and it seemed what he was paranoid about did manifest.

When he wasn't looking, a cold hand seized Trunks's nape from behind. In total shock and with a muffled shriek, he leapt forward and turned around to see a little figure, its head obscured under what seemed to be a hood. He was about to strike, but then he noticed the figure was succumbing to a fit of seizure. When he observed more carefully, though, it was actually a result of contained laughter; he could hear familiar mischievous chuckles coming from under the hood, and that was when everything finally registered in his mind.

"That wasn't funny, Goten," he growled as he dropped his fighting stance, "That really wasn't. If it were you, I'm sure you're gonna scream louder than me."

Trunks might be telling the truth, but Goten didn't care. What mattered the most for him right now was the fact that he succeeded in surprising Trunks, because usually it was the other way around. He threw the hood to reveal himself, then approached his friend and made a sincere apology, although the seriousness of his plea was somewhat toned down by his giggles.

At first Trunks found it hard to accept Goten's apology for having pulled a cruel prank on him, but he couldn't bring himself to hate him and forgave him nonetheless. After all, the younger boy never got angry at him whenever he pulled pranks on him because he knew it was just for fun. And so, after greeting each other in a more conventional way, they moved somewhere else to find a better spot to talk.

On the way, Goten noticed the patched-up wound on Trunks's face. "You said you're okay, Trunks. What happened to your face?" he asked.

"It's… terrible. I'll tell you later," replied Trunks, "So howdcha get out of the house? Did you knock Gohan out or something?"

"Well…"

* * *

_Gohan and Goten was standing in front of a house. It was smaller than theirs, but still a very lovely house indeed._

_The older boy pressed the bell and a beautiful, posh-sounding chime could be heard coming from the house. Not long after, accompanied by a young kid Goten's age, a beautiful woman came out from inside and welcomed them. She smiled and her son seemed very enthusiastic at the sight of the brothers, for they thought it was such a privilege that the grandson of the strongest Commoner decided to spend the night over at their house._

_The mother suggested that Gohan come inside for a cup of tea and some scones, but he politely declined since he had to help Bardock in doing some cleaning business back home. She understood, and invited Goten to enter the house since it was cold outside. Before he did, though, he turned to his big brother and without warning leapt into his arms and hugged him tight._

_Gohan was surprised at Goten's actions. He tried in vain to shove him away since he thought it was embarrassing, but the kid just wouldn't let go. However, instead of giggles, he got himself a sweet look from the mother who found the sight very adorable. She even made a remark that Gohan was lucky to have such a wonderful brother._

"_Gohan, sorry…" said Goten very remorsefully._

_At first Gohan was unsure what Goten was sorry for, but he figured it might be because he felt bad for not being at home over the weekend. "Hey, don't worry, little guy. You just have fun with your friend, you deserve it."_

"_Will you be okay without me?" asked the little brother._

_Gohan smiled at the question. For all he knew, he was the one who was supposed to ask that question. "I will, kiddo, don't worry about me. Will you be okay?"_

"_Mm-hmm. I'll be good," replied Goten as he tightened his hug. It was as though he didn't want to part with his big brother. "Bye, Gohan. Tell grandpa I'm sorry, okay?"_

"_He won't mind, trust me," Gohan ruffled Goten's hair gently. He then put him on the ground and prepared to leave. "Well, behave and have fun, now. I gotta go now or else grandpa's gonna be mad. See you on Sunday, Goten."_

_With that, Gohan thanked the homeowners for their hospitality and willingness to accommodate Goten for two days. The grownup lady just shrugged it aside, saying it was a pleasure having him with them since the son—he was the only child in the family—would absolutely appreciate the presence a friend to play with. Besides, they had been close friends ever since they first met at school, so Goten should just make himself at home._

_After yet another word of gratitude and hugging his brother for one last time, Gohan left and drove away into the distance, very much to Goten's sadness. Sure, he had told lies several times in the past, but the extent had never been as serious as it was now; that was the reason why he apologised dejectedly to him earlier. Truth be told, though, he felt like there was more to it as though something compelled him to do so which he couldn't find the answer right now, but that didn't matter and he just brushed it aside. Now that he was here and there was no turning back, he might as well enjoy the time together with his friend, so he followed the mother inside to be treated a relaxing cup of tea and some sweets._

_Just like one's usual, plain vanilla sleepovers, the night passed with the two boys having fun without any care whatsoever about the world—almost. Despite being surrounded with toys and games, Goten couldn't turn his thoughts away from Trunks. He constantly wondered about what was it that the Prince wanted to talk about with him, and why it seemed so important to him to the point that he had to meet in the middle of the night, away from the scrutinies of people. As a result, he was unable to enjoy the fun times to the fullest._

_When it was bedtime and the boys were sent to bed, Goten actually feigned sleep. The lights were off, and he waited patiently until his friend finally fell asleep. He then wrote a letter saying he had something urgent to do lest his friend woke up before he returned; after that, he sneaked out of the house from the window, exercising extra caution and making sure his power level was concealed so as to avoid detection by the parents. In a hurry, he scurried toward the marketplace, and finally managed to arrive there and meet up with Trunks despite having gotten lost for some time._

* * *

"So you tricked Gohan, your friend, and his parents. Way to go," said Trunks nonchalantly.

"I was out of ideas, Trunks. That was the only thing I could think of," Goten retorted in defence of himself.

After walking for quite some time, they found a perfect place to settle themselves. It was a piazza of some sort, complete with food kiosks around it, at the heart of the marketplace where people would usually relax and enjoy some snacks and refreshing drinks after shopping. They sat at a table, and since it was very cold, Trunks shared his bottle of hot tea with Goten, which the latter so gratefully accepted.

Remembering Goten's question about the wound on his cheek, Trunks stooped his head rather despondently. "So you wanna know what caused this?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," Goten nodded, "Does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt. But I can't forgive my dad for this!" the lilac-haired kid growled, anger evident on his expression.

The mention of the King led Goten to believe he was the one who had hurt his best friend against his consent, and he was correct in his prediction. When Trunks explained about the scuffle he had had with his father that morning, the younger boy went all agitated, elaborating his belief that parents should never do horrible things to their children. It was true he never got the chance to know his own father and mother, but from what he had observed from Bardock and his friends' parents he knew at least there was some degree of truth in what he believed in.

However, Goten's irritation quickly turned into genuine concern and he felt culpable upon learning he was the root cause of the problem. He didn't want Trunks to run into trouble because of him and sadly apologised for the difficulties he had gone through because of him. At the same time, though, he was undoubtedly and genuinely touched by the fact that the Prince had stood up for him against his father. Indeed, they were best friends, and one would be more than willing to do anything for the other, and such cases had happened seen several times in the past as well.

But that wasn't the point of the whole conversation. Trunks, looking even grimmer than before, revealed a very disturbing bit of information. "This evening," he began, his eyes fixed onto the floor tiles, "When I was walking around, I saw Fasha talking to mom. They looked worried about something."

Goten leaned closer so he could perceive the words more clearly. Trunks continued, "They walked away, and I followed them to the main chamber. I overheard what mom and dad were talking about, and… it was terrible. Really, really terrible. I can't believe it, Goten."

"What is it, Trunks? What did they talk about?" Goten swallowed hard and asked, although he wasn't sure he would like the answer.

Trunks was hesitant in answering the question. He knew, though, this was the very reason why he had asked for a meet-up with Goten, so he finally replied. "It's dad. He's… crazy. Just because I've been playing with you, he's gonna get you and your family, Goten."

"Get me and my family? What do you mean?"

"Look, I dunno about the details. But I heard him say that."

"But how come, Trunks? We've always been with Fasha! Why does he want to get me?"

"No, it has nothing to do with that! The point is dad's very furious because of us… no, me. I've gotten you, Gohan, and your grandpa in big trouble."

"Why because of you, Trunks? You didn't do anything wrong…"

"I did. I've made dad very angry by playing with you, and now they'll be out looking for you. I heard him say he was disgusted of you, and that's… awful. Listen to me, Goten…" Trunks paused for a while. He knew what he wanted to say, but didn't have enough courage to utter the word since it bore an extremely unpleasant consequence for himself as well as Goten. However, with nothing else he could think of to get around the difficult situation they were in now, he shook his head and finally said it with a very sad expression. "When you go back home, tell Gohan and your grandpa to move out."

Of course, his Royal friend's words surprised Goten so much he did a double take. "W-what? Move out? That means—"

"Yes. I know that's not fair. Go as far away as possible from the Kingdom so you don't get caught," Trunks interjected.

"But… we'll never meet again, Trunks!" Goten whined. He wasn't fond at all of the idea of living as a fugitive. "What about my friends? My studies? What about you, Trunks? I don't wanna leave you behind!"

"Look. It's hard, but that's all I can think of. Trust me, I don't even wanna think of what dad would do if he gets you."

"But Trunks, there's gotta be something else we can do… I'm not—"

"THERE'S NO OTHER WAY, GOTEN!"

The unexpected roar from the elder boy succeeded in surprising and terrifying Goten. Although it was just an instantaneous outburst of impulsive emotion, he had never seen him acting like that before, so he figured he must have pressed him too hard. Thinking he was on the wrong, Goten let out a sigh, apologised to Trunks, and stooped his head in sadness and embarrassment, eyes fixed on the ground as though it had been the most interesting thing in the world.

Trunks didn't mean to scare Goten like that and he felt this longing to apologise for what he had done. However, being a very proud boy he was, his pride wouldn't let him; instead, he poured another cup of tea into the bottle cap and offered it to the other boy as a peace offering of some sort. Still feeling rather apprehensive, Goten accepted it and sipped the hot liquid carefully. Almost magically he could feel the tension within him being washed away when he finished his capful of tea.

"I know how you feel, Goten…" Trunks began, now sounding very sympathetic, "But think about it. Do you think I want you to leave too? You're my only friend. There's no one in the castle to play with. You know that, right?"

"I know, Trunks…" replied Goten.

"Then you know how I feel too, dontcha?"

"Mm-hmm…"

"I don't wanna lose my lifelong best friend, but I don't want you to get into trouble."

A long period of silence followed. Trunks had made it a point to mention they could always keep in touch with their scouters, but Goten believed there was absolutely no chance of meeting with each other again. Sooner or later, their bonds would start to wither away, and all these times they had spent together would be a complete waste.

Trunks, however, thought the opposite. Although he had no idea whatsoever about this concept called friendship since one friend was all he had ever had, he believed what Goten feared wouldn't come into being. Considering they had been getting along very well for a little more than five years, it would take more than mere space between them for their friendship to decay. Besides, he emphasised this solution wasn't permanent; he didn't know how long it would take before people crowned him King, but when it was time, he would do anything to get Goten and his family back and clean their names.

Goten finally concurred with Trunks, but not without a fit of miserable crying. Seeing how things had turned out, there really was no other choice than to exile himself and his family away from civilisation. All this time, he thought they were living in a society ruled by law, not by simple whim, but it seemed he was wrong, especially when he heard the reason of Vegeta's paranoia which he found extremely irrational and outrageously unfair. He wasn't sure how his big brother and grandfather would react upon learning about the news, but breaking it soon was certainly a better idea than to wait and see their faces on posters with scattered all around the city and town.

However, Trunks's promise, as farfetched as it might sound right now, was enough to keep a tiny glimmer of hope alive. He didn't know how many years it would take; perhaps not for the next ten years, or twenty years, who knows, but eventually everything would return to normal. Sure, that would mean Goten would have a hard time reintroducing himself and his family to the society and keeping up with the changes that would have taken place by then, but it was infinitely better than to spend the rest of his life in exile.

The next ten minutes passed without any of the boys saying a single word. They just sat there in the company of each other, taking turns sipping tea from the bottle cap and trying to make themselves as comfortable as possible. After all, this might well be their final chance of seeing each other in person for the next heaven knew how many years, and Trunks regretted so much they couldn't have met under more fortunate and friendly circumstances.

"I'm sorry, Trunks…" Goten broke the silence. Judging from the tone in which he delivered his words, he was feeling very remorseful. "Everything happened because of me."

Trunks, unable to stand seeing his best friend being all miserable like that, tried to shift the blame from him. "No, Goten, it's not your fault. It's my dad's. He's crazy and it's decided. I hate him."

Goten could only sigh. "I dunno what to say to Gohan and grandpa…"

"Hey, you don't have to do anything. Look, mom and Fasha wanted to help you too. We can send you an official letter to back up your words."

"Can you? I mean, dontcha need your dad's signature to issue one?"

"To heck with it, Goten. What kind of King flouts the rules his people had established? To me he's not a King anymore! When you move out, just make sure—"

Trunks was cut mid-sentence by a warning message on his scouter. Not only that, Goten's also displayed similar warning, which meant they weren't malfunctioning. According to the devices, a group of people with rather high power levels were converging fast on their current position. Goten wondered who they might be and what they were up to in the middle of the night like this, but Trunks, in total bewilderment and knowing the answer to Goten's question and that they had very little time, tugged at his coat sleeve and quickly took him somewhere else to hide.

"Praetorians," Trunks growled in exasperation, "Darn it! They shouldn't be able to detect us, so how come? You kept your power level low all the time, didntcha?"

"I… I did, Trunks! I never raised it!" Goten panicked. He was telling the truth, though; had he raised his power level, Trunks's scouter would have picked it up beforehand.

Torn between taking the carefully slow route and the recklessly fast one, the boys navigated through the aisles and alleyways of the marketplace, but for some reason the Praetorians were able to get one step ahead of them, requiring them to turn around since they still needed to make it outside the marketplace area without being detected. This would go on for some time, and eventually they were forced into hiding under a stall shrouded beneath a heavy sheet of tarpaulin.

There, in that tiny space which got crammed easily just by being occupied by two people, they waited at least until the coast was clear. Although they were able to intercept Trunks and Goten, the Praetorians couldn't seem to find out where they were hiding, and despite the weird fact it was surely a good thing. Trunks instructed Goten to switch off his scouter, stay calm, and keep his power level as low as possible, and he did the same while carefully peeking out every so often to observe the situation outside.

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity of tense period of waiting, the Praetorians dispersed and went away, perhaps to scour another area. After they had moved a good distance away, Trunks and Goten quickly but very stealthily darted out from the stall they had been hiding under, trying their best to stay concealed in the shadows, toward the main alley of the marketplace to make their escape. When they turned on their scouters, they showed no one ahead, but both boys knew they had no time to waste and had to do it very quickly, and even after that they would need to immediately go their separate ways without rest. That obviously wasn't the best farewell someone could possibly bid his best friend, but the pressure of the entire situation demanded no emotional goodbyes be made.

They were going to make it. They were just one intersection away from the main street, and they frantically made a dash for their lives past that junction…

"Rats will always be rats, constantly living a life of escape from their predators."

… but they were intercepted by a man, disgust radiating from his tone of voice. How he wasn't visible on their scouters was very much beyond Trunks and Goten, and the two were left totally dumbfounded.

"It never occurred to me even in my wildest dreams that someday I would step into these filthy grounds full of vermin. What an unfitting place for me, the King."

* * *

Trunks and Goten found themselves surrounded by five Praetorians, the weakest among them having a power level exceeding that of even the strongest Nobles, and Vegeta. Back to back with each other, they were already in their fighting stance to prepare for anything which might happen during the next several minutes.

"Why, dad?" asked Trunks, disbelief audible in his voice, "And how? Howdcha know we're here? Howdcha even know how to find us?"

Amused at his son's naïveté, Vegeta let out a maniacal laugh. "You fatuous child! Do you think you can fool me with that little trick of yours?" he asked very condescendingly, "Listen to me, boy. I know all along you can mask your energy signature to avoid detection. Am I not right?"

This revelation came as a total shocker to both Trunks and Goten, but also brought about a new question. If Vegeta was aware of their ability, how was it possible that he could find their whereabouts without any apparent difficulty? It was a well-established fact between them and Gohan that in their suppressed state, not even the most sophisticated and sensitive model of scouters could detect them.

As though having read the boys' mind, Vegeta provided the answer. "Control of energy flux is child's play for me, you idiots. Your disbelief just proved how severely you've underestimated what I'm capable of."

"So that's how you find us?"

"By manipulating my energy, I can not only raise or lower it at will, but also expand it far and wide to perceive other people's. There's so much you can do with it, and the fact that you've tried to escape me without knowing how to use it… that's a complete shame."

Vegeta then took off his scouter and crushed it, intent on demonstrating the veracity of his claim. He then shut his eyes and ordered one of the Praetorians to move as fast as he could and hide himself underneath one of the stalls around them, and so he did. With astounding speed, he darted here and there; not even the other Praetorians could perceive his movements.

However, before he could even choose a place to hide, Vegeta—still with his eyes tightly shut—fired a file of beam from his fingertips at what seemed to be nothing. The beam, however, hit the poor Praetorian and penetrated his skull right between his eyes, and he dropped dead on the ground before everyone's eyes. The nonchalance in which the King disposed of one of his own underlings was very disturbing, which led the other Praetorians to secretly question whether they had been simple pawns framed to do his biddings all along.

"I told you," Vegeta smirked as he opened his eyes, "You're decades too soon if you think you can outsmart me. And you expect me to sit there and do nothing after everything that had happened this morning? If so, you're so shallow."

"You're dumb, dad. If you knew, why didntcha just stop me before I sneaked out?" asked Trunks. To him, his father's motives and courses of actions were just irrational, strange, and nonsensical.

"You really want to know why? Because your interaction with this," Vegeta pointed at Goten accusingly, "trash over here is despicable. Who does he think he is, regularly meeting a member of the Royal Family without my approval?"

"We don't need your approval. We're always with Fasha, and our interactions are legal!"

"Precisely. And that's exactly why I need a valid reason to have you punished."

"What… do you mean? A valid reason?"

"You're so dense you don't know what hit you, boy! By now you should have realised, or do I need to refresh your memory? Didn't I say I knew you were going to sneak out? Now think. How was it that you managed to escape the castle?"

"What are you getting to, dad? I could get out because these guards are stupid," Trunks jeered at the Praetorians, "They couldn't even do their job right. Is it my fault if I sneaked away because they weren't… around…?"

As Trunks finished his sentence, everything suddenly registered in his mind and he could only stare incredulously with mixed emotions. Vegeta, seeing his son's reaction, let out a very proud and condescending laugh, which caused the Royal child to seethe with anger for having been tricked by his own father.

"You just realise it now, don't you? You're so shallow," said the King, "I know you must be looking for an opportunity to make your move in order to meet this disgusting vermin, and that's exactly why I deliberately loosened up the castle security. In other words, I let you get away so I can catch you red-handed."

"That's dirty! That means this is all a huge setup!" Trunks growled utter frustration.

"Indeed it is, but does it matter?"

"How could you do this, dad…?"

"You've been interacting with this trash since you were little. Slowly but surely, he's turning you into one as well, and you don't deserve to be among the Royal Family anymore!"

"Stop your nonsense, dad! If you think I'm a Commoner now, then just let us go since that means our interaction is no longer illegal. And also, Goten is my friend, and you have no right of saying that!"

"Friend? You have NO friends! Listen, boy. I think you're missing the point. You deserve to be sentenced because you've tarnished the reputation of the Royal Family."

"Dad, that's your opinion—"

"YOU ARE NOT MY SON!" Vegeta roared, causing the boys—especially Trunks; he was also taken aback for being rejected by his own father—to cringe in shock and surprise. He then commanded the Praetorians to seize Trunks and Goten. "Now, get them, and keep them alive! They're not going to like what's in store for them."

In just a flash, a fight ensued. Vegeta stepped back and the Praetorians started the onslaught, although their unwillingness to apprehend their Prince was very apparent. Because of this, they decided to go for his friend first, but it seemed they still held back; Goten, being the grandson of a Commoner even stronger than the second strongest Praetorian who was Fasha, was able to outmanoeuvre all of them, thanks to his focus on agility and his being barely a metre in height.

Although he couldn't defeat them, he slowly but surely whittled away their defences by delivering lightning-fast strikes. Trunks then joined the fray to reinforce what Goten lacked in the firepower department; together, they packed a nasty punch and proved to be a considerable force to be reckoned with. The Praetorians were supposed to be among the strongest people in the entire Kingdom, but the fact that they were easily outmatched by mere children was extremely embarrassing to them.

With excellent coordination, Trunks and Goten managed to knock out three Praetorians, while the remaining one was still struggling to keep up with their crazy speed. This sight enraged Vegeta to no end and aggravated his hatred, as it demonstrated to him just how much power people could possibly attain. Goten, a seven-year-old Commoner, was as strong as he had been five years ago, and it was a very, very painful blow to his enormous pride.

Vegeta had had enough of this nonsense, as he put it. While the boys were still busy attacking the last standing Praetorian, he materialised some kind of rings of energy and flung them at Trunks and Goten. Being too focused on the task at hand, they barely noticed them and only did at the very last second; they jumped away to dodge, but it was too late.

As though guided, one of the rings wrapped itself around Trunks's neck and the other did the same to Goten, and in an instant they became extremely lethargic and were driven to their knees. They could feel their energy slowly but uncontrollably seeping away from their body.

"What's… this? What have you done… dad?" Trunks panted, not knowing Vegeta was capable of such a horrible technique.

Goten too was pleading for help. He tried to raise his power level to break free of the hold, but he couldn't. It seemed the rings had the power to regulate their power at minimum, non-threatening levels to the point they could barely get back to their feet. Even moving a limb was a struggle for the poor boy.

"Tsk. To think that I have to get my hands dirty on such a trivial matter," Vegeta rolled his eyes in vexation, "You're correct, boy. These people you call Praetorians are incompetent."

Vegeta, still very irritated but merciless as ever, gestured at the Praetorian to promptly take Trunks and Goten with them to the castle. When he asked what he should do with his comrades, the King, in a very indifferent manner, flung full-powered energy spheres toward the unconscious men, essentially killing them. This came as a horrible surprise not only to the Praetorian, but also to Trunks and Goten, and even more so when Vegeta said he couldn't tolerate failures and rejects and that they deserved to die.

"I told you before. You're not going to like what's in store for you…" he flashed an evil smirk. Then, before taking them to the castle, he spoke in a very ominous tone, after which he wouldn't utter a single word anymore.

"… and you, boy, and your filthy little companion here and his family… are rejects."


	10. Deliverance

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

As per usual, that morning, Bulma was busy helping out the kitchen servants with preparation of breakfast. She was a woman of fine and extraordinary culinary skills, and the chefs had always loved her presence among them as well as her advices.

With excellent efficiency and coordination between limbs, the Queen and the chefs did everything from shredding vegetables to roasting meat. Like busy bees, they darted here and there across the enormous kitchen in what seemed to be an extreme case of multitasking, and with the sheer number of servants nothing was left unattended for more than five seconds. This method had always been the way breakfast for the Royal Family was made, and it explained how they could possibly prepare such a large amount of food in less than half an hour's time.

After she had done her part, Bulma left the rest to the others, and they very gladly complied. Since it was still quite early in the morning—barely even seven, to be exact—she figured it would be a great idea to wash up prior to inviting her family for breakfast. Besides, Trunks would still be asleep at this hour, and since it was Saturday some few hours of extra rest wouldn't hurt anyone. Vegeta wasn't around either when she woke up, so Bulma believed he must have decided to feed his crazy craving for power somewhere on the training grounds.

Although the mood in the castle was rather tense, Trunks and Vegeta were still part of her life, and it was her duty to maintain harmony in the family. It was true that they had been shooting death glares at each other ever since the unfortunate scuffle which had happened yesterday, but as the only female she had to stay strong. Her support to Trunks and counselling to Vegeta were downright priceless during these times of difficulty, and it was all up to her to keep the infrastructure of the Royal Family intact and uncompromised.

And so, assuming what she thought was correct, she proceeded to her chamber to have one round of nice bath, happily indulging in a great deal of relaxation before dealing with things, problems, and issues she had to deal with today. As she immersed herself in the hot water, she let all her worries and concerns fleet away for a moment and off she went into her own land of blissful obliviousness.

Little did she know, though, while she was all ignorant and unaware, Trunks was banging the wall in indignation with his little fists in a cell deep inside the castle dungeons, unable to comprehend the rationale behind the sentence Vegeta had very unjustly passed on him.

* * *

There was one household in town which had started being rather busy despite it being Saturday morning.

Upon making his entrance into the land of the wakeful, the homeowners' son saw something which shouldn't be there, and someone who should have been there wasn't around. By his side, where he had expected Goten to be, was an envelope with 'to: Oran' written on it. He didn't know how it got there or where his friend might be, and although he was still scatterbrained for having just woken up, he took the envelope nonetheless, tore it open, and read the letter inside.

It was a short one, but he read it letter by letter since his consciousness wasn't all rallied together yet. However, even without much thought, he easily chained letters into words and words into sentences, and finally the idea the piece of paper was supposed to convey quickly registered in the boy's mind. He didn't know what to think about this since Goten had explicitly stated in the letter not to worry about him and there was no need to look for him in case he hadn't returned by the time he woke up, but he figured it was a good idea to let his parents know about this.

Still limping and in the mood for a quick snooze, Oran got off his bed. He struggled to stand on his feet and even almost tumbled forward; if it hadn't been for his tail which acted as a counterweight he would have kissed the floor by now. After a moment of gathering his awareness, he finally gained complete control of his body and exited his room.

It was still very early in the morning and the living room was still almost pitch-black. There was barely any light breaking through the window, but the ear-pleasing sounds of birds singing their dawn chorus for the world to hear could be heard from outside. Almost magically, those beautiful voices seemed to excite Oran's interest; unable to resist the morning's irresistible charm, he made his way out of the living room to the small but lovely patio just outside and made himself comfortable on one of the two rattan recliners. Totally forgetting about the letter on his hand and what he was supposed to do with it, he put it on the end table just beside him.

The sun was still hanging slightly beneath the eastern horizon, which gave rise to a rather impressive vista. Most of the celestial sphere was bluish black, but where the sun was about to rise just moments later, tinges of warm hues had started to show. Thin sheets of cirrocumulus clouds were present and they just accentuate the beauty of the sight by reflecting the rays of the still invisible sun, creating a brilliant display of orange and red in the eastern sky. Combined with the brown autumn landscape, the overall tone of that crisp morning was warm.

Oran was made lost deep in his thought by the beauty of the earth he didn't realise having sat there in complete bliss for almost half an hour. By this time, the sun's disk had shown itself and almost half of the sky dome was now yellowish in colour. Many birds had joined in the concerto of chirps and more and more people could be seen jogging or cycling on the street.

Morning had broken.

"You're up early."

He was yanked back to reality by a voice from the doorway. He didn't even need to turn around to know it was his mother since the feminine tone was a dead giveaway, but the fact remained that no one would have woken up this early in the morning except for her. Otherwise, there would be no one to prepare breakfast for the family.

"Hi, mom. I was just enjoying the scenery," replied Oran.

The mother then took her seat on the other recliner. "Beautiful, huh? We're lucky our house is just across the field so our view is not obstructed."

For a period of time, Oran and his mother just sat there in repose, treating themselves to the absolutely gorgeous presentation of the morning sky. After ten minutes had passed, the grownup stood up and headed back into the house, ready to prepare a light breakfast for the kids. She suggested Oran wake Goten up, after which they should at least wash their face to dispel the drowsiness. By then, two large bowls of oatmeal as well as two tall glasses of fresh milk would have been ready to be wolfed down.

When his mother mentioned his friend's name, Oran suddenly remembered about the letter Goten had left when he was still sleeping. He handed the piece of paper to his mother and let her read it, then studied her expression which became slightly more amused with every full stop she encountered. It wasn't the kind of reaction he had expected to see, though; knowing his mother had been treating Goten like the Prince himself, she should have been at least freaking out at his sudden absence.

"Dontcha think we should start looking for him, mom?" Oran proposed his suggestion, concern clearly audible in his voice,.

"Don't worry, dear. I'm sure he has his own reason for going out that early. I know he's a strong boy," said the mother. Her son couldn't help but concur; Oran had sparred with Goten several times in the past and the outcome had never been different: the latter always emerged the victor. She continued, "Besides, if trouble happens, although I highly doubt it, we can just locate him and lend him a hand."

This time Oran had to disagree. "We can't track Goten, mom. I dunno how, but he can hide his energy signature."

"Oh? He can do that?" asked the mother again, which the son replied with a nod. She had no idea such a little boy was able to pull out a trick even seasoned warriors would surely covet. "Well, that makes things a little bit more difficult, alright…"

"That's why we gotta find him fast, mom. I don't want him to run into trouble."

"You're right, but we can't go with an empty stomach. Let's have breakfast first, and after that we'll start looking for Goten."

"Okay. I hope he's alright…"

They then returned inside the house. Oran washed himself up as suggested and waited rather restlessly for her mother to inform his father about this unexpected happening. When they finally got out of the room, the grownups started serving the breakfast in record time, knowing time was of utmost importance although they still thought nothing unfavourable was going to happen to Goten.

Oran, though, stood firm in his belief that although strong, his friend was as vulnerable as anyone else. They had known each other for quite some time and had gotten quite close ever since their first meeting, and he knew Goten was the type of person who, although normally shy and timid, was rather careless when he had grown attached to whatever it was he was doing, an opinion Gohan would most probably second.

Despite his anxiety, he knew his mother was right in saying they would need a good source of energy prior to departing for their search. With that in mind, when she presented a bowl of oatmeal, he thanked her for the food and started consuming it spoonful by spoonful although his thoughts were hardly focused on the task at hand. All he cared about right now was the well-being of his friend.

Little did they know, though, while they were having their first meal of the day, Goten was sitting in total silence with tear-soaked eyes in a cell deep inside the castle dungeons, unable to comprehend the rationale behind the sentence Vegeta had very unjustly passed on him.

* * *

Thanks to Vegeta's crafty scheme designed to ambush Trunks and Goten red-handed during their unsupervised meeting, the Royal Senate members could say nothing in their defence during the closed hearing held at the break of dawn, even before Bulma woke up to begin her activities for the day. Long story short, they had violated the most fundamental aspect of cross-class interactions, and according to the law of the Saiyan Kingdom, they were to be interdicted from the society.

However, things didn't end there.

Vegeta was present throughout the hearing, and he was nowhere near pleased at the Senate's—as he put it—incompetence. Others might see him as someone who was abusing his authority; he simply want Trunks, who according to him had been corrupted, and Goten, who according to him had corrupted Trunks, to perish for being an irremediable disgrace. True, the abnormally proud King had never been fond of the idea of having to deal with Commoners, even with the aid or supervision of Praetorians, because of his paranoiac and—sadly—twisted viewpoint toward them; that was the very reason why he had rejected Trunks as his son earlier during their confrontation.

Contrary to Vegeta's desire, absolutely no single member of the Senate agreed with his very one-sided proposition. Although he was the King, they believed he wasn't above the law and had no power whatsoever to amend the Constitution only because he felt like it. As such, although Trunks and Goten had indeed been proven to be in the hot soup, the Senate unanimously rejected Vegeta's appeal to escalate the penalty. The members were steadfast in their decision, and the excommunication sentence would be passed during another hearing in the presence of Bulma and other Praetorians. Although still unnerved to no end at the thought of the punishment they had to undergo for the rest of their lives, they sighed in relief for not having to face their demise in the near future.

But that was where they were wrong. In fact, it was the point where things simply unveiled an ugly turnout and the drama continued.

The deranged King, bent on having his wish granted, coerced the Senate members to comply with his orders. He did that by being trigger happy; just as the chief judge was about to drop the hammer and adjourn the hearing, he shot a thin file of beam toward him, missing his head by mere millimetres in purpose. Everybody present was wide-eyed at the course of action Vegeta had taken and nobody dared to even believe he just nearly killed one of his high-ranking officials.

In a very threatening tone, Vegeta said to the Senate he would only give until before the end of the day for them to reconsider their decision, although he didn't state what was to follow should they disobey. While the others were still totally dumbfounded, he went out of the hearing chamber, grumbling and muttering indecent words under his breath about the Senate's inaptitude and how they were so insensitive regarding his honour.

With Vegeta now out of the scene, the chief judge dismissed the hearing and commanded the other Senate members to leave him alone with Trunks and Goten, which they obeyed wordlessly and readily. When three of them were the only ones left in the chamber, the full-grown Saiyan apologised profusely to the boys for the scene they had to witness earlier. Despite the fact that he had no authority to ease Trunks and Goten's penalty since it had been dictated by the law, he promised to fight to the best of his capabilities not to yield to the King's obviously fatal request and that a second, more official hearing session would no doubt be conducted sometime later today.

The boys were then sent to the holding cells in the castle dungeons just like other convicts, but not without specific instructions to keep them as attended to, safe, and comfortable as possible, since it was the Prince himself and his lifelong best—and the only one, for that matter—friend they were dealing with. Bearing those orders in mind, the dungeon warden provided them with the most well-kept holding cell available for accommodation. It was dark and very cold inside, but at least they didn't have to stay in those damp, funky-smelling cells used to hold Nobles who had been convicted of unspeakable crimes.

Upstairs, the situation grew very hectic as one by one, the castle dwellers learned about Trunks's arrest. When Bulma finally caught wind of the news from Fasha just moments after getting out of her bath, she almost fainted in total shock, and refused to believe the truth behind the words before she saw her son being held in the dungeons with her own eyes and find out what exactly had given rise to this unprecedented repercussion. She was told it wouldn't be a good idea since it might be emotionally burdensome for her, but being a loving mother she was, she insisted on having a word with Trunks before anything unfavourable had the chance to happen.

And so, when Bulma visited the dungeons, Trunks left Goten on his own for a while. He wasn't ready to meet her, let alone admit that although it was Vegeta who ambushed them, it was he himself who had gotten them in this situation in the first place. He had contacted Goten and arranged for a meet-up, just the two of them and without supervision, and by doing that he had knowingly breached the social custom. It was all his fault, and there was no denying it.

When the mother and the son finally met, not a single word was spoken. Bulma couldn't believe her own eyes, thinking they might still be playing cruel tricks on her mind, but it was real. It was Trunks whom she was looking at, separated from her by sturdy, unyielding bars of steel. The first few minutes of their meeting passed in complete silence, and it wasn't until Bulma finally gathered her courage to greet her son did a conversation finally commence.

Now that he was away from Goten and no one else was there with them, Trunks broke free of the chains keeping his emotions in check and cried miserably in front of her mother. Judging from how he constantly let out words of apology from his mouth, something he had never done previously due to his very high degree of pride for someone his age, Bulma figured something really terrible must had happened. Although she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear the reason, she knew she deserved to know the truth, so she proceeded to question Trunks about the circumstances that had brought about this very unfortunate turn of events.

Struggling to form words between his sobs, the little Prince spilled everything for his mother to hear. This of course came as a shock of unholy proportions to her since she had never expected him to even think about sneaking out of the castle. Distraught and crushed, she asked him again what had compelled him to do so; it came as no surprise to her that the reason was Vegeta—she knew all along that the disturbed King was bent on apprehending the Sons for reasons even she couldn't make sense of—but she was disappointed of how Trunks had decided to handle things. According to her, if he only wanted to inform Goten and his family to stay away from town in order to avoid capture, he could have resorted to supplying them a letter signed by her and have Fasha or other Praetorians deliver it.

Trunks admitted everything had happened because of him, but he didn't fail to provide her the details about Vegeta's cruel scheme which had brought him here, as well as what had happened during the closed hearing session earlier today. His words made Bulma even more upset; as a result, she was torn between wanting to believe her son, not wanting to believe her mate had done such a thing and demanded such a costly solution, and thinking it might have been a desperate attempt made by Trunks to be exempted from the consequences of his actions. She quickly ruled out the third possibility, though, although the reason was totally beyond her.

When asked whether or not he was telling the truth, Trunks insisted that he was. He even suggested Bulma to ask around for Praetorians who had been absent around one to two o'clock earlier in the morning and question them about the veracity of his claim. Alternatively, she could just consult the members of the Senate who also happened to see the King's outburst and hear his request with their own eyes. Trunks desperately pled to his mother to prevent Vegeta's sentence from being passed on them, and although the hammer hadn't fallen yet, he broke down and again sobbed miserably for having brought this unfortunate occurrence and the possibility of death upon himself and his Goten.

Bulma was at loss of words and didn't know what to think. A part of her heart felt really mad at Trunks since he had knowingly flouted the most basic concept pertaining to interclass interactions, but another told her it was only an impulsive, understandable, yet dangerous reaction coming from his worry, especially knowing he was just a little kid and that his best friend's well-being was at stake. She could only sit there as her son continued sobbing, repeatedly telling her that he was sorry for everything he had done. As much as she wanted to comfort her son by hugging him tight in her embrace, she couldn't, and it just accentuated the pain she felt deep down.

Her heart was almost irremediably shattered, but Bulma ensured Trunks everybody would fight as hard as they could not to yield to Vegeta's request and keep him compliant with the law. She also promised him she would be there for his and Goten's support during the hearing session later that day. Then, with mixed feelings, she comforted him as best as she could manage, telling him his apology was accepted although it wasn't all that easy for her. After urging Trunks to face whatever it was which was coming his way with head held high, she left the dungeons to find out if everything her son had told the truth regarding his father.

She could only hope he hadn't, even though she knew there was a good chance of it being true.

* * *

Half a day had passed since Bulma's visit to the dungeons, and in less than an hour the second hearing would be conducted.

There wasn't much option for the boys to take except supporting and trying to talk with each other. Most of the time it was Trunks who spoke, demonstrating to his best friend in a very rare display of regret that he was very sorry for everything. Throughout the period of their retention, Goten barely said a word and would just sit there on the corner, sometimes sobbing and pining for his family in a very heartrending manner. Seeing him in extreme distress, Trunks took it upon himself to solace him and be his pillar of support although he too felt way too miserable for having drawn the repercussions of his careless actions toward him.

Fortunately, their condition improved with the passing of time. Goten was appreciative of Trunks's efforts to keep him as secure and comfortable as possible, and the latter was glad the former slowly but surely started to warm up although his sadness was undeniably still there. In an attempt to win Goten's trust and sympathy, the Prince openly and very blatantly loathed his father and condemned the course of action he had taken against them. It wasn't a false claim, and the younger boy knew very well that Trunks was telling the truth.

Despite Trunks's company, the uneasiness due to being locked up in a cell eventually started to get into Goten's nerves. He knew he had to do something beyond engaging in a conversation to retain his clarity of mind, so he asked his friend to have the dungeon keeper provide him with a pen or pencil and some pieces of paper. When said writing instruments fell into his possession, he immediately occupied himself chaining words into meaningful sentences that he would address to the ones he loved so much, although he didn't know if it would be delivered at all.

After quite some time, Goten finally stopped writing. Having observed him for quite some time, and compounded with the fact that he was a curious boy, Trunks approached him and asked, "What's that, Goten?"

"It's a letter… to Gohan and grandpa," replied Goten, his voice rather dark and sombre.

"Can I see?" asked Trunks again.

Goten nodded and handed Trunks the letter, which he read carefully. It was a short one, but there was no denying the meaning behind the words was very profound and a pessimistic undertone to them was evident. With every sentence, Trunks comprehended more and more the sense of loneliness and grief Goten must have suffered ever since Gohan left him at his friend's house. Besides, it might have been his last time seeing his brother ever; he doubt the Senate would be that heartless not to allow him to meet again, especially considering he was just a little kid, but the possibility was there.

However, what disturbed Trunks the most was the fact that the tone of the letter seemed like it was as though Goten believed Vegeta's sentence was sure to be passed on them. He ensured him what he feared wasn't going to happen, just like what the chief judge of the Senate as well as his mother had promised him earlier.

"I still feel they're still gonna go with your dad's decision, Trunks…" Goten sighed dejectedly.

"Goten, they're not gonna let dad has his own way," Trunks affirmed and stated his belief which he had been holding onto so firmly, "I told you, right? Dad's not above the law. He can't call dibs on it and change everything just because he wants to. He's such a freaking jerk if he does, and even without doing it he's already being one. I hate him!"

Goten could only hope Trunks was right. He climbed on the bunk and, feeling vulnerable, assumed a foetal position. "I'm scared, Trunks. I dunno what to do."

"You don't need to be scared, Goten! We're gonna go through this together. I won't leave you alone."

"But what about Gohan and grandpa? Who's gonna tell them to stay away?"

"Hey, look. I'll write a letter and pass it to Fasha later. She'll deliver it to them."

Trunks then seized the pen Goten had previously used to write his letter to Gohan and Bardock and began writing. Judging from the thickness of his strokes on the paper, it looked like he poured his anger into every word he wrote. For ten good minutes he occupied himself with writing the letter, and when he was finally done he showed it to his friend.

Contrary to Goten's letter, his was imperative in tone and the words were brimming with indignation and pure detestation. The younger boy wasn't sure if those were the best words to write to Gohan and Bardock, but Trunks insisted it was alright and would possibly draw some sympathy from them, which might lead them into sharing the same feeling as what he experienced. Influencing them like that was a long shot and he acknowledged it, but he saw no point in not doing it. It was now evident Trunks's hatred toward Vegeta was intense and irremediable; ever since referring to him, Goten, Gohan, and Bardock as rejects, he too had rejected him as his father, and truth be told, he wanted him dead as badly as the grownup had the boys.

They had no use for the letters right now, so they folded them and put them in their pockets. When they were discussing about when they would pass the letters to Fasha, the dungeon keeper asked them to follow him outside and quick, since the big moment was just around the corner: the second hearing session was about to begin. Remembering what he had been told by his mother, Trunks tried his best to stay as cool and composed as he could possibly manage while encouraging Goten, who couldn't even lift his head to look ahead, to do the same.

At the dungeon entrance stood the one remaining Praetorian who had ambushed Trunks and Goten in the marketplace earlier today. He retrieved the boys from the keeper, then proceeded to escort them to the hearing chamber. For some reason, the walk from the dungeons to their destination seemed to be infinitely longer than when they had made their trip the other way around, and after what felt like hours they finally stopped by a pair of doors looming over them. With a command from the Praetorian, the doors opened inward, revealing to them a huge room with cold, clinical white floor, walls, and ceiling as well as a multitude of people as the audience.

As they walked down the aisle, Trunks ignored the incredulous stares from countless Praetorians and Nobles in the room. Goten, though, wasn't faring too well; noticing this, the older child whispered to him and assured that nobody, not even Vegeta, was going to physically hurt them especially in the public such as now, otherwise his or her reputation as a Royal, Praetorian, or Noble would be severely maimed. Trunks had the courage to back up his words, and although he was now best described as the prey, he kept his head held high as he helped Goten sit down, making him look as though he had still been the predator.

The boys stayed silent as the chief judge elaborated the very circumstances that had gathered everyone together in this room. Although he was focused on keeping Goten calm, Trunks stole a glance at the crowds once in a while, hoping to at least catch a glimpse of his mother and caretaker among the sea of people. The first few attempts returned no result, but after a while, he finally found them. Bulma was there along with Fasha and the perpetually grumpy Vegeta, standing on a balcony of some sort, witnessing the trial of her beloved son in silence. When their eyes met, Trunks could have sworn he felt the insecurities and mixed feelings churning in her heart. She must have found out what he had said about his father's request was true.

His period of idle thinking was interrupted by the sound of his and Goten's name. With his sharp gaze, the chief judge looked at them and asked whether they were ready for the moment of truth. He was about to decide on the sentence which would be passed on them, and knowing delaying it further would be of no use, Trunks resolvedly and firmly stated that he was, followed by Goten who did the same albeit with far less conviction than his friend.

Getting affirmation from the children, the elderly Saiyan began. "King Vegeta, His Majesty," he said, "has requested death penalty for His Highness Trunks Brief and Son Goten." At the words 'death sentence', everybody but few let out an audible gasp, and in seconds murmurs started to fill the room. With his authoritative tone of voice, the chief judge silenced the crowd and carried on. "This is a special case whereby a member of the Royal Family has been found to have flouted the fundamental aspect of cross-class interaction, and His Majesty believed such an act has brought disgrace upon them, hence his request."

"The Royal Senate has discussed about the course of action that needs to be taken, and with all things considered, we have decided on one. His Highness Trunks Brief and Son Goten are guilty as charged, and their penalty shall be…" the judge paused before continuing with the word, the word which would seal Trunks and Goten's fate. During this period of time, the hearing chamber became as quiet as a burial ground; nobody dared to speak a single word, and the tension in the air was debilitating.

He glanced at Vegeta, then shifted his gaze at Trunks and Goten whose palms were clasped together in dreadful anticipation of what was to come. He took a deep breath, let it out, and finally spoke.

"… excommunication. Sending off shall be conducted tomorrow in the evening in the presence of His Majesty, Her Majesty, as well as Son Goten's family," said the judge. After that, to signify his decision was final and ultimate, he dropped the hammer. "Case closed."

Hearing the verdict, Trunks and Goten sighed in relief. It was true that their exile was inevitable, but now they had escaped certain death and for that they couldn't thank whatever entity in the Other World responsible for their lives enough. Some of the Nobles in the audience initially gave the boys a strange look for being rather pleased, but they soon understood the reason; after all, they were just little children who had just been spared from their untimely and unfair demise.

To prevent prolonged emotional discomfort from the scrutinizing gazes of the public, the two boys were quickly escorted out of the chamber to their cell. Trunks stole one last glance at the balcony where his mother was and saw Bulma and Fasha, the latter comforting the former, but he couldn't see Vegeta anywhere. Knowing him, Trunks figured he had left the moment he learned his demand wasn't complied with. It wasn't like he cared, though; he thought it was time Vegeta found out the hard way his caprice alone couldn't override what had been instilled in the ages-old system.

"I told you. Dad's not above the law," said Trunks to Goten who was torn between feeling relieved and being dejected.

Goten inhaled a deep breath and sighed. "But tomorrow… I really dunno what to think. I'm still scared."

"Remember this, Goten. I know you are, and we're very weak now. Yeah, these things may not go anywhere, alright…" Trunks pointed at the glowing energy collar around his neck, "But neither will I. You just think of what to say to Gohan and your grandpa, and don't worry about anything else."

A deep furrow formed between Goten's eyebrows. "What do you mean, Trunks?" he asked, confusion audible in his voice.

"What I mean is, after we're out of the Kingdom, I swear I won't leave you alone."

When Trunks finished his sentence, he saw Goten extending his little finger. Suddenly a surge of memory rushed through his head although only for just a brief moment, but during that split second he recalled vividly a similar moment when he had been a toddler. That time, he made a promise to Goten that they would always be best friends come what may and sealed that oath, which still held true until this very second, with a pinkie promise.

"Promise?" asked Goten as he offered his hand.

With a sad but otherwise resolute smile, Trunks hooked his own little finger onto Goten's and confirmed the truthfulness of his words. "Promise. Dontcha dare not believing it, buddy."

* * *

Five hours had passed from midnight.

The boys were asleep, drifting in their respective lands of slumber in what seemed to be a peculiar mix of relief and restlessness. It wasn't all that comfortable and the ambient temperature was very low, but this was their last chance to enjoy such facilities before being stamped as outcasts and forced to live all by themselves in the great, wild outdoors far beyond the borders of the Kingdom. That thought was enough to make the bunk seem like a luxurious object and the cell a comfortable dwelling place.

Unbeknownst to them, though, someone wanted to pay them a visit so badly.

This particular male Saiyan was clad in a black cloak which covered him from head to toe and donned a simple, dark-coloured mask. At first sight, it seemed like he dressed like that to avoid revealing his identity, and judging from the way he moved and darted quickly through the outer premises of the castle that hypothesis must have been true. Strangely, although there were several guards patrolling the area, avoiding them wasn't in his list of things to do; instead, he waited patiently until the guards were separated from one another, after which he would neutralise each and every one of them by silently claiming their life with unholy efficiency. In just under five minutes, the castle bailey where the access to the dungeons was located was now deprived of guards.

With the first point in his agenda taken care of, the mysterious figure quickly scurried toward the tower under which the dungeons lay. To get to Trunks and Goten, he would need to have the dungeon keeper unlock the sturdy steel gates not even the strongest energy blast could destroy, but he seemed unconcerned. In fact, for some reason, he was able to trick the keeper to do exactly that; however, instead of thanking him, the figure very swiftly snapped his neck, killing him instantly. Assuming possession of the keeper's collection of keys, he ventured deep into the dungeons to locate where the two boys were being held.

After traversing the labyrinthine and poorly lit path, he finally found what he had come for. He saw, in the cell, Trunks and Goten sleeping on the bunk just large enough to accommodate both of them. Proud of his accomplishments so far, his eyes glimmered in pride under his mask. He then attempted to open the cell door by trying out the keys one by one, yanking Trunks and Goten back to awareness in the process.

There was some kind of a refractory period before they could finally manage to make sense of what was going on. When they did, the mysterious man had succeeded in breaking into their cell, and they were obviously alarmed. Trunks and Goten quickly assumed a defensive stance despite knowing they could barely do anything with the collars still on, but their guest showed little to no signs of interest in battling. Instead, he beckoned at them to follow him without speaking a single letter; the children was left wondering what this was all about, but seeing this as a chance to escape their sentence, they made a run for it and left their cell.

En route to freedom, Trunks and Goten were presented the destruction the man had left in his wake. As they made their exit from the dungeons, they could see the keeper lying dead by the steel gate and was shocked at the sight of his head obviously turned to the wrong direction. That wasn't all, though, since there were more dead bodies scattered throughout the bailey—even the guards at the castle gates weren't spared—and it sure wasn't the best scenery to behold.

Despite their mystification, they continued to follow the man who had granted them liberty out of the castle grounds and into the city area. Trunks asked him to slow down due to exhaustion, but he didn't seem to heed the request and kept his pace. Goten tried to communicate with him, but his efforts too were in vain; the man simply ignored everything he said and keep running through the dark of night.

Eventually, after what seemed to be hundreds kilometres of running for Trunks and Goten, they reached the walls and stopped by the gate connecting the city and the town. Two guards were present; again, the man succeeded to trick them into opening the gate for them and killed them mercilessly shortly afterward. To the kids' utter horror, he burned the lifeless bodies with a blaze of energy, leaving absolutely no trace of the guard's existence behind.

The man then gestured at the kids to step outside the gate to the open field, which they did without even the slightest bit of hesitation, albeit still fearful of what he had done to the guards. Although their power levels were still suppressed, one couldn't agree more they felt really ecstatic for having been liberated. Appreciative of the cloaked man's effort to go the extra mile and retrieve them from the dungeons, Trunks and Goten thanked him profusely despite the fact that he still refused to speak.

After a moment of impassive silence, the man then approached the boys and freed them of their collars. As soon as the restraining ring dissipated into thin air, Trunks and Goten could feel a surge of energy rushing from within, shooting to the extremities as though pleading to be released for having been imprisoned for quite some time. The feeling was amazing, and the boys couldn't stop smiling and dancing around in joy. They didn't know who this man exactly was or why he had been willing to take it upon himself to do everything, but it didn't matter; they were indebted to him.

In excited glee, Goten approached the man, intent on expressing once again how thankful he was. "Thanks very much, mister! Well, I think you could've told us who you are, but I think it's okay because—ow!"

Before any of the kids could realise it, the man had already done something very terrible. At first Goten was wondering what that sting coming from his stomach was, but when he looked down he wished he hadn't. He couldn't believe his eyes which by now had started getting wet, but the stinging sensation quickly grew into intense pain he knew he wasn't dreaming. It was as real as it could get.

The man had run a blade of energy, not unlike a sword, right through Goten's body.

Trunks saw this, and he let out a heartrending cry of his best friend's name. Trunks rushed toward the man to get him away from Goten, but unfortunately he too had to meet his untimely end.

Mercilessly and very nonchalantly, the man lifted his free hand and pointed his index finger at Trunks and shot an extremely quick file of beam, almost invisible to the eye. The poor boy, still rushing for Goten, had no time to cancel his move and step aside; the beam swiftly penetrated through his left chest, just missing his heart, with a very high possibility of puncturing his lung. Witnessed by the helpless Goten, Trunks collapsed at the spot and coughed out blood several times.

"W-why…? Who are… you?" he asked, his voice now very soft and weak, "Whydcha… do this to… us?"

At Trunks's words the man just let out a scornful laugh. He flung Goten away, eliciting a yelp of pain from him upon contact with the ground. It so happened that Goten faced Trunks when he landed, and with tears now brimming in his huge, innocent obsidian eyes, it looked as though he was pleading for his friend to come. Unable to stand the sight, Trunks mustered as much strength as he possibly could and struggled to get to the younger boy's side.

The man scoffed at the sight. He finally threw away his cloak and unmasked himself to answer Trunks's question, and the boys, upon learning who the man really was, were filled with disbelief, disappointment, fury, and sadness, all in exactly the same percentage. Again, he laughed in a very contemptuous manner as he turned around to return to where he had come from, leaving Trunks and Goten to their fate. Before that, though, he made sure to give a brief so-called farewell speech.

"Haven't I told you before? You, this trash, and his family are rejects," said the man with a disdainful tone, "And rejects deserve to die."


	11. Shattered Dreams and a Broken World

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT / It's a Small World._

_Have a good read._

* * *

The air was cold, but the overall weather was lovely and the landscape looked gorgeous. That was what Gohan loved about autumns.

Goten and Trunks were playing together on the field of gold, wrestling each other while rolling about and sending fallen leaves into the air. Sometimes Gohan could hear one complaining of the other playing unfairly, but that aside, they were having tons of fun. He totally understood it, though; in this eternity, this might well be the only time Trunks was given permission to stay over at their house without supervision.

As he watched his brother and friend now sitting on a pile of leaves and talking with each other, Gohan's mind began to traverse down the memory lane. As a child, he had never had the luxury of having a really close friend or even slack off for that matter, since he needed to share Bardock's workload in keeping the family intact as well as babysitting his then baby brother. Besides, he also had to study hard and hone his academic skills so as to increase his chance of success when enlisting into the Army in the future.

However, he was glad Goten didn't have to go through a difficult childhood like he had endured. Growing up without his parents were was more than enough of an unpleasant experience, and Gohan took it under himself to take him under his wing and ensure his happiness. It was true his brother could be a despicable troublemaker who would sometimes bring him into a shipload of trouble, but he could never bring himself to hate him. Gohan loved Goten more than anything in the world, and it was what drove him to always do his best for him.

In the middle of his reminiscence, Gohan caught some bit of the conversation between the boys. Finding it interesting, curiosity finally got the better of him and he focused his mind to perceive whatever it was that Goten and Trunks were talking about.

"Trunks, are we still gonna be friends?" asked Goten. Exhausted and looking ready to fall sleep, he made himself comfortable by lying sprawled on the pile of leaves he was sitting on.

"Whatcha talking about, Goten? Of course we are!" Trunks creased his forehead. Why his friend had to ask something whose answer was so obvious was beyond him. "You see, we'll be friends until end of time."

Hearing Trunks's answer, Goten produced a wide, innocent, happy grin. "Wowee! That sounds cool! Even later in the Other World?"

"Yup. You bet."

When Gohan heard the phrase 'Other World', his heart began beating more rapidly. Never before had Goten said something related to the afterlife, so why now? He found himself trying to shrug aside unpleasant feelings that had somehow gnawed their way into his heart; although it was just a casual conversation happening between two best friends, the fact that this was the first time Goten ever talked with someone pertaining to the Other World was enough to unnerve him.

"Hmm… do you think I'm gonna meet my mom and dad there?"

"Yeah, I guess. They must've been waiting for you."

"I wanna see how they look like!"

The mention of their parents made Gohan even more anxious. The unpleasant feeling he was experiencing became accentuated by the second, and somehow he knew something he didn't even want to think about was just around the corner. He needed to have a word with Goten, but suddenly it occurred to him that something strange took place when he walked over to reach him. Despite the steps he took, he didn't seem to cover any distance between him and his brother since it was as though he had only been walking on the spot. Gohan tried running, but for some bizarre reason the space was just impassable.

Not knowing what to do anymore—even his shouts seemed to fall on deaf ears—Gohan stopped trying. It was then when he saw Goten and Trunks starting to slowly fade away from existence; just like ghosts or spirits, he could actually look past their bodies and see the brown dead leaves beneath them. When he shouted again for them he was actually noticed by the kids, but they just smiled and flashed victory signs with their hands at him. From where he was standing, Gohan noticed they were becoming fainter by the second and were just moments away from completely disappearing.

"Hee-hee. I'm glad I got to know you, Trunks," said Goten as he lay down again with Trunks sitting by his side.

"So am I, Goten. Thanks for being my best friend," replied Trunks. Then, he ruffled his spiky mess of hair, an act of affection usually reserved for Gohan whenever he needed to comfort his little brother. "Now sleep well, buddy. I'm right behind you. I'll be there right after you arrive."

Goten grinned again and bid his friend farewell. Gohan, who was growing more and more frightened, could only stand there and watch as the boys started to phase out from his view. All of a sudden, the scene underwent a major change; the golden brown hue of dead leaves around them was replaced in a flash by flowers. Trees and buildings mysteriously disappeared into thin air, and all Gohan could see in the distance was a vast field of white and yellow extending far to the horizon.

Seeing the flowers, sadness and mournfulness surged through his body. He knew he had seen similar flowers in the past, and for some reason he had always associated those variants with a particularly dark moment in his life. Hands trembling and knees shaking, he squatted and plucked two stalks to examine them, secretly hoping he was wrong in determining their species… but his hunch was correct all along.

Although they were supposed to grow on trees and not close to the ground, the flowers were of the frangipani family, the same kind of flowers featured prominently in his parents' funeral. And that was when everything finally clicked inside his head.

Goten, and possibly Trunks as well, was off to see them, never to return again to the land of the living.

As realisation dawned on him, Gohan heard Goten calling out to him. "I'll be waiting for you too, Gohan!" he shouted from where he was, his voice terrifyingly cheerful and nonchalant.

"Wait, Goten! Don't go!" Gohan pled desperately as he tried in vain to approach his little brother.

This time he was replied by Trunks. "Don't worry, Gohan. It's not like we're gonna go anywhere over there, I guess. We'll be waiting for you until you get there."

"What do you mean, when I get there? You're not going anywhere, Trunks, Goten!"

The reason was beyond him, but Gohan was now able to close the distance between him and the kids who were getting fainter. However, despite giving it his all to run as fast as he could, he was afraid he couldn't get to them on time, and his fear proved correct; just as he was about to reach for his brother's hand, Goten turned to him, gave a radiant smile, and said one final sentence before he and Trunks were engulfed by an intense burst of light.

"I won't forget you, big brother."

* * *

"GOTEN! NO!"

Gohan shot awake and sat up on his bed, his cold sweat seeping into his shirt. Still panting heavily, he struggled to calm himself down as he slowly caught his breathing rhythm although his heart was still pounding furiously. He looked over to his side, expecting to see Goten sleeping, but of course he wasn't there. For all he knew his little brother was enjoying his time with Oran, his classmate.

With wobbly knees Gohan got off the bed and poured himself a glass of water. He still remembered his very weird dream, not only because the details were so vividly imprinted into his mind, but also due to the fact that he had dreamed the exact same thing for three consecutive nights; normally he would just dismiss whatever dreams he had dreamt, but this time he found himself thinking about each and every word Goten and Trunks had said, the sudden scene shift, the flowers, and overall what the dream meant. Symbolisms of death were very prevalent in the dream, and he admitted it made him extremely uneasy.

However, to him a dream was just that: a dream. Being an absurdly logical person he was, Gohan had never been convinced by people's anecdotal accounts regarding the sibylline powers of dreams and just shrugged it aside like it had been nothing. He stood firm in his belief that there was no single thing but own endeavours which could determine what time had in store in one's future. With that in mind, he pushed his worry to the farthest reaches of his mind and made up his bed, ready to begin his activities just like on any other normal days.

Even though it was Sunday, Gohan was up particularly late that morning. When he drew the curtains open, the sun was already shining its yellowish white beams instead of the usual orange, and judging from its position in the sky he had overslept for around two hours. Sure enough, when he turned around to check the clock, the numbers zero and eight followed by two fours were displayed. There was some grocery shopping to be done, and since the marketplace was more than just likely to get extremely crowded in the late morning, Gohan hurriedly took some clothes, frantically darted out of his room, and went straight into the bathroom for take a quick bath without even bothering to greet his grandfather who was in the process of dusting the furniture.

In record time—less than ten minutes, to be exact—he finished his bath. With heavenly efficiency he dried himself up and put on his clothes. Just mere seconds later, he was clad in a blue changshan with gentle magenta sleeves and a pair of trousers with similar colour as the sleeves. Suddenly it struck him as uncanny; this set of outfit was the exact one he had been wearing in his dream. As far as he could recall, he only took the topmost clothes when he opened his armoire and had made no conscious attempts whatsoever to choose among other available ones. However, since he didn't want to be troubled by such a trivial matter, he just shrugged and dismissed it as pure coincidence.

When he exited the bathroom, his grandfather was no longer in the living room. Gohan then remembered he had skipped something he had never failed to do every morning, so he approached the end table on which a wooden frame holding the photograph of his parents sat. There was something different today, though; when he quietened his heart to pray, he noticed a lace of frangipani flowers looping around the frame. As he noticed aspects in his dream manifesting one by one in the real world, Gohan couldn't help wondering whether someone was trying to tell him something, but he continued with his prayer nonetheless.

When Gohan was done praying, Bardock showed up from his room, possibly having just finished sweeping the floor. He figured this might be a good time to inquire about the flowers before he went out, so he said to his grandfather while showing the lace to him, "I didn't see this yesterday. Where did it come from?"

"What do you mean, where did it come from?" Bardock asked another question in reply, "Of course I bought it. Do you really think it just popped up out of nothing?"

Hearing the very obvious answer, Gohan felt really dumb for having asked his pointless question. "Whoa, easy there, gramps. I was just asking," he said, "But it's really not like you to buy decorations."

"Call me crazy, but I felt compelled to do so. Now stop asking questions and buy whatever you need to buy. You're extremely late."

Knowing his grandfather was stating the truth, Gohan didn't need to be told twice to do just that. At Bardock's command, he promptly returned his towel to the drying rack, grabbed his wallet from his room, and went out to get the shopping done, otherwise there wouldn't be anything to eat for dinner tonight. In a rush, Gohan got into his pod and drove off into the distance, almost completely unheeding of street manners in the process.

When he arrived at the marketplace, he parked his pod by the open space at which Goten and Trunks usually played together. Upon seeing the field with dead leaves thoroughly covering it, his mind once again homed back to the vivid images that had been haunting him since the morning. The resemblance between this field and its unreal counterpart in his mind was extremely striking, even the details; although he still believed this was nothing more than yet another coincidence, he had to admit he was starting to get more and more restless.

Intent on getting his duty done quickly, Gohan repressed his unease and strolled toward the marketplace, and that was when everything just turned uncanny. For a reason he wasn't aware of, he was more perceptive of the colours white and yellow, giving rise to the illusion that said colours were more prominent than the others. To make things even creepier, those were also the hues of the frangipani flowers in his dream.

His scepticism now swaying violently, Gohan felt urged by a compelling force of some sort and began making sense of the so-called signs appearing one by one before him. He knew the meaning behind the colours his eyes were particularly sensitive to today; in their culture, one of the aspects represented by white was purity or innocence, and by yellow, friendship. Combining those two together, the first thing he thought about was the abnormally high degree of friendship which had formed between his brother and the Prince. Gohan then put the flowers into the equation, but shortly afterward he wished he hadn't, since to him frangipanis were closely associated with the end of life due to their prominence during his parents' funeral. However, he couldn't get his mind away from one particular subject which had left a very strong impression: Goten and Trunks's discussion regarding the Other World.

Gohan navigated his way through the busy aisles while struggling to rid his mind of the rather troubling conversation stubbornly echoing inside his head, oblivious of the even more disquieting pieces of news buzzing from the mouths of people. Little did he knew, there was a very clear and strong correlation between what was in his head and that which was circulating around the marketplace. When he finally did notice what the people was so agitated about, his heart began to thump uncomfortably fast, almost painfully so, and he covertly focused his attention on a conversation taking place between a fruit stall owner and his customer.

"Have you heard, Cabash? Two gatekeepers were murdered this morning."

"Yeah? May their souls rest in peace. It's amazing what people would do just to gain access to the city nowadays…"

"Hmm, I don't think so. Some said there were witnesses during the event, and they said it was the other way around."

"What, you mean someone from the city actually wanted to get out? You gotta be kidding me, Spina."

"Except I'm not. They also said the killer brought along two children. One had purple hair like the Prince."

Gohan subconsciously cringed when the lady mentioned about someone who looked like Trunks was mentioned. If it really was the Prince, the other child had to be Goten, no doubt about it. Despite having visited the town every fortnight, Trunks had never made any contact with children other than his brother, let alone befriended them. Bracing himself for the next part, he continued eavesdropping on their conversation.

"What does the Prince have to do with it? Are you suggesting he might be involved?"

"Heck, beats me. But listen, I know it sounds crazy, but one of the witnesses said the guy… or girl, killed the children too."

That instant Gohan felt like being struck by lightning.

Those cruel words came rushing through his ears and straight into his brain without warning, and how he wished he could unhear it. For almost a full minute he couldn't even budge an inch from where he was standing now, although his muscles felt really weak and it seemed as though he was ready to collapse any second. His vision darkening and his heartbeat beating almost erratically, Gohan could only stand there as still as a stone statue.

However, he quickly rallied his courage, assuring himself of the fact that the lady hadn't witnessed the events firsthand. Gohan knew he was in the middle of something, but this was a more pressing matter which had to be investigated at least until he knew what really happened to Goten and Trunks. He returned to his pod and drove toward the gate connecting the two residential areas of the Kingdom, hoping very fervently that the lady had heard an erroneous piece of news.

While heading to his destination, he figured it was a good idea to check on Goten from the scouter, although he wasn't too surprised when he couldn't locate either him or Trunks thanks to their neat ability to hide their power levels. A second alternative was to give him a call, so he punched in his frequency and waited—anxiously, one might say—until Goten picked up.

After almost a minute of waiting, someone finally responded. "Hello?"

"Goten? Are you okay?" asked Gohan. He did that so nervously he almost jumbled his words.

"This is not Goten," replied the voice in a very dejected tone, "I'm Oran. Is this… big brother?"

Knowing it wasn't his brother who picked up his call, Gohan gasped in total surprise. "Oran? W-why… where's Goten? He's with you, isn't he? Please tell me that he is!"

There was silence for the first few seconds, and a loud cry followed. Over the line, Oran was bawling his eyes out for a reason Gohan was very afraid of being true, but that didn't stop him from his pursuit of truth. He parked his pod on the road shoulder to try to soothe the child, but it was to no avail. Fortunately, his mother came along and joined him in his effort, and the crying finally subsided. Gohan could hear the grownup very tenderly suggest that her son do something else and just let her handle the problem.

Oran's mother was the person from whom he learned about his brother's sudden disappearance. When she mentioned about the letter stating Goten's intent on meeting someone and that there was no need to worry about him, everything finally occurred to Gohan that the plan to stay over at Oran's house was a complete ruse; he didn't need further information to come up with a conclusion that Goten had had a hidden agenda after all. He felt really miserable and embarrassed of himself for having fallen victim to a child's trick, while at the same time getting even more agitated by the second. His presumption of Goten meeting Trunks gave the marketplace lady's second-hand account some degree of credibility, although he was quick to force himself into thinking that it was possible if, and only if, the purple-haired boy she had mentioned was really Trunks.

Appreciative of the efforts given by the family in trying to locate Goten for one whole day, although they had proved futile, Gohan thanked Oran's mother before hanging up. He then brought the engine of his pod back to life again and drove to the city gate, intent on finding out the truth behind Goten's disappearance. The possibility of his not being in this world anymore was there, but if so was the case, Gohan refused to believe it one bit before he had seen his brother's lifeless body.

As he made his way toward his destination, countless images of Goten flashed inside his head. He remembered all those times when he would take care of him when he was just a little baby, all the way until their last time seeing each other. Goten's innocent smiles and pouts invaded his mind and occupied it in no time, making it very difficult for him to focus on the road and keep his path straight.

After driving for a while, Gohan finally arrived at the gate. Along with a multitude of people gathering around it, he saw several Praetorians who must have been assigned to prevent Commoners from trespassing into the city or Nobles into the town. No doubt, something terrible must have happened here earlier today, consistent with what had been described by the customer lady.

He wasn't concerned with the fate of the two gatekeepers, though, and he quickly set out to verify the dubious claim of the murder of the Prince look-alike and another kid. He scoured the area for signs of Goten and Trunks and did the whole run again after doing it once, and there were absolutely no traces of them. Gohan didn't know how he should feel about this, but he let out a sigh of relief nonetheless for having learned with his own eyes that the lady's account was false. All he needed to do now was keep looking for his missing brother, firm in his belief that he was still out there somewhere, alive and kicking.

However, just when he was about to take his pod back and leave, a teenage girl possibly around his age approached him. Truth be told, she had been watching Gohan's every movement ever since he arrived at the gate and even harboured some kind of suspicion toward him which she so boldly confronted by carefully striking a conversation with him.

"You look… just like him…" said the girl. By doing that she succeeded in surprising Gohan who was in the process of getting into the car. When she was sure she had gotten his attention, she continued, "You don't happen to be… Gohan, do you?"

Having always kept a low profile, Gohan was dumbfounded at the fact that someone actually knew him by name, or at least knew his name. "I am, miss, but do I know you?"

"I need you to come with me," replied the girl in a very direct, no-nonsense manner.

"Whoa! Hold on a second, where are you taking me?" asked Gohan again, "I've got something important to do right now, you see."

"Just come. Someone's… dying to see you."

The girl's enigmatic response left Gohan perplexed, but as much as he wanted to leave right now, he felt obliged to comply with her demands. To save energy, he offered to take his pod to wherever they were going, but the girl politely refused, saying it wasn't that far from where they were now. Gohan just shrugged and carried on walking, and although the girl's motives were kind of questionable, he just brushed it aside and followed her nonetheless.

Little did he know, he had missed something in his search for signs of Goten and Trunks earlier: patches of dried blood of sickly brownish maroon hue, perfectly camouflaged by the colour of dead leaves scattered all over the place.

And he was about to pay the dear, dear price of his negligence.

* * *

"If you need some time, I'll leave you for a moment."

Gohan gave a nod without speaking even a single word, and the girl—she had introduced herself as Videl—acknowledged it by exiting her room, leaving him with two boys lying on the queen-sized bed. They were motionless, their expression totally relaxed and free from all worries of this world although slightly pale. Tears running down his face, Gohan held tight onto the smaller boy's cold palm and he finally lost it; with a restrained cry, he buried his face on his brother's chest and let it all out.

"Why, Goten?" Gohan sobbed uncontrollably although he managed to keep his voice down. He didn't want Videl, whom he just met moments ago, to see him in such a ravaged state. "Why did you do this to me? Why did you leave? Why?"

Of course Goten didn't answer his cries. Although he and Trunks were physically there with him, their souls weren't, and the pain was just too intense for Gohan to bear. The last time he felt like this was almost a decade ago when he learned about his parents' death, and that time he sure thought he wouldn't have to experience such emotional anguish again. But now, it had been proven to him that he was as wrong as he could get, and the now inanimate little figures lying before him served as a harsh reminder that nobody, despite his power and status, was exempt from having to depart from life sooner or later.

"Why didn't you tell me, Goten? Why did you have to lie? Was it because you were scared I might get angry?" asked Gohan again. He knew asking those questions now was useless and way too late, but he just couldn't help it. "I wouldn't, Goten… if only you'd told the truth… I'd find a way to help you… but why did you choose to do it your way? Dontcha know how I feel right now, Goten? I'm sad! More than sad, even! I feel broken…"

"No… no, it wasn't your fault. If it was anyone's, it's mine. I've failed in protecting you, Goten… I should've paid more attention to those dreams… if only I had, you and Trunks could've been around longer. I've failed you, Goten. I've failed as a brother!"

Videl, who was sitting on the couch in the living room, could only sigh in deep despondency when she heard Gohan's muffled of self-pity through the door. She had read Goten's and Trunks's letters—she planned to show them to the big brother after he had calmed down later—and believed no one as young as them deserved this. Besides, judging from what the older child wrote on his letter, she concluded they had been treated rather unfairly by the King himself although she didn't know the whole story.

After several minutes, Gohan finally went out of the room with red and bleary eyes. Wordlessly he settled himself down across Videl and continued to stay silent, and although he was offered some water and sweets to help him wind down to some extent, but out of distress he refused it and just buried his head in his hands. Videl knew she had to do something to ease the tension in the air, but at the same time she was afraid whether or not what she had in mind to say was going to offend Gohan and make everything worse.

However, the silence was deafening and uncomfortable and perhaps by striking a conversation, Videl would do them a favour. She sighed and finally spoke after another moment of quiet, "I'm sorry for your loss. You seem to be very close to them, especially the black-haired one…"

"He's my little brother. You have no idea," replied Gohan curtly. His voice was still shaky.

"Perhaps… but I'm no stranger to things like this," said Videl. Gohan wasn't sure if he wanted to listen, but she continued nonetheless. "I've been living all by myself for five years now. Someone has to pay for the bills and the maids, so I had to resort to making these paintings to earn money. It's not easy, you know. It's hard to find potential buyers, and I don't have enough to enlist the help of an agency," she said while eyeing the framed paintings hanging on the walls, "And life's a living nightmare without someone to care about you. You see, my dad was killed in action during his service in the Army and my mom… she died of broken heart, I guess. I know how it feels to lose someone very dear to—"

"But you don't know how it feels to lose almost EVERYONE very dear to you," Gohan suddenly glowered, surprising Videl.

"W-what do you mean? My parents were everything to me!"

"Listen, miss. Don't fill me in with the details your problem, I'm not interested. Just so you know, you still have your maids or whatever. I only have my grandpa now."

"Your… grandpa? Don't tell me your parents—"

At this point Gohan was seething with anger. "You think you've seen the true face of life, dontcha? Well, think again. You have no one to protect and care about, while I have Goten. You should be glad! After mom and dad died, I have to earn money too to ensure he's got the best for him, and do you know what I do for that? Do you?"

"… I don't. Sorry…"

"I sculpt, Videl. Statuettes, totems, charms, whatever you call them. That's the only thing I'm talented at. And you know what? The most I've ever been paid was fifteen thousand, and it's barely worth a full dinner. Do you have any idea how many statuettes I have to carve a day, not counting the ones that failed? And do you still think your life is a nightmare?"

"Gohan, I'm sorry, I—"

"Every time I sculpt, I think of Goten. Yeah, it's not easy money, but the profits were purely for him. It is I who paid for his tuition fees, cover his expenses and stuff. He was the reason why I sculpt and it made me love it with passion, but now? He's gone! What do I do now, huh? Who do I sculpt for? What purpose does it serve now?"

"I didn't know you've gone through so much for him…"

"Well, now you do, and I hope you understand it's just natural. Goten was more than just my brother. He was my friend… my best friend. Heck, sometimes I feel like he was my own son. He was more than everything to me! Now think, how does a father feel when he's not there during his kid's final moments? Or when someone isn't with his best friend in desperate times?"

"He'll feel sad, of course."

"That's just one possibility. Truth is, he's devastated. His world is ruined and you really have no idea how much he hates himself for that. You can't provide a complete answer to my question, but you said you understand what I'm feeling now? I'm telling you, that's a lie!"

Gohan's wall crumbled under the sheer force of his emotion and he exploded in fury. Videl could only stoop her head in embarrassment; everything he had said was true. She really had no idea about the hardship he had very willingly gone through in order to keep his brother comfortable and safe without having to worry about anything. Having been too self-centred, her attempts in consoling Gohan had ended very miserably thanks to her poor choice of words, and how she wished she could turn back time.

After venting out all of his anger, Gohan sat down again and yet another period of silence followed. No one dared to say anything, and the only thing they could hear was the soothing sound of tiny tubular chimes swaying gently in the wind. Feeling very apologetic, Videl stood up and approached Gohan, sat beside him, and was about to say something when the boy preceded her.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have burst out like that…" Gohan apologised, "You were just trying to cheer me up. I'm sorry. I appreciate it, Videl, I really do."

Videl just shrugged it aside, glad that the tension had diluted by itself. "Don't worry about that. I know a lot is going on inside your head right now," she said, "Now why dontcha take some sweet and drink the tea? Or you want me to make you another one since it's already cold? You know, just make yourself at home."

"No, you don't have to. I'll just take this one. Thanks a lot… and I'm sorry for bringing you into trouble."

"Nah, don't mention it. Um, yeah, I just met you… but you know… if there's anything you'd like to talk about, just shout. I'd be glad to help."

Once again Gohan thanked her for the emotional and mental support she had given him. Unlike Goten, Gohan had never had a true friend before since he had to keep himself busy in order to get life in the house going, and the presence of Videl and her willingness to help him in these particularly difficult times was more than just a godsend. He couldn't imagine how it would be like if he had no one to turn to; out of excessive self-pity and feelings of guilt, he might consider ending his own life for being a failure as he put it.

"I almost forgot," said Videl, breaking Gohan's train of thought. She then took two pieces of folded paper from her pocket and handed them to Gohan. "Here. These are for you…"

"Oh, thanks," Gohan took the letters from Videl's hand and unfolded one of them. Before he began reading, though, he was reminded of something he hadn't had the chance to ask. "Oh, and by the way, how did you find Goten and Trunks? When you found them, were they… um… you know…"

Videl was quick to spare Gohan the agony by promptly answering him. She knew what he was about to say. "I was jogging this morning before sunrise," she began, "I always jog along the city walls. I dunno why, but I just love it… but this morning everything was different. That was when I met them."

"You met them? Does it mean…"

"They were brave children, Gohan… their wounds were so bad, but they still clung tightly onto life. They couldn't move, so I brought them here. I thought there was something I could do, but…"

"But…?"

"It was too late… I should've taken them to the hospital or something instead. I didn't… I didn't know they'd lost so much blood. It's my fault they didn't make it!"

The table had turned. Gohan found himself side by side with a girl he had inadvertently dragged into his problems, and he didn't know how to handle it. Because of this, he felt guilty for having asked his question earlier. To top all that, this was his first time meeting her, and he couldn't think of a way to comfort her without ending in a rather awkward situation. With that in mind, he finally decided to rely on the power of his words to get the job done.

"Videl, don't say that. You've done everything you could," he said gently.

"I could've done more than that," Videl spoke between her sobs, "I'm sorry, Gohan. I'm really, really sorry!"

It was true he was still devastated over Goten and Trunks's loss, but he wasn't fond of the idea of bringing other people into what was supposed to be handled by him alone. Seeing no other way to calm her down, Gohan put his hand on Videl's shoulder and told her he accepted her apology and that she didn't need to blame herself. When her sobs finally subsided, he offered her his cup of tea to help her calm down, which she gratefully accepted.

"There. Everything's gonna be okay now, dontcha worry about me," Gohan assured his newfound friend as convincingly as he could manage, "Yeah, it's hard and it'll take some time to get over this, but I'll manage. I'm sure Goten doesn't want me to be like this all the time."

"Gohan, you're a strong one," said Videl. She couldn't hide the embarrassment behind her voice, but it didn't matter now. "I thought my life is hard, but you've opened my mind. Your love for Goten is just… I dunno, phenomenal, I guess. I'm sure he always looked up to you."

"I dunno if he did, but he sure had grown into a cheerful, happy boy…"

"And that's because of you. You made that happen. I don't really know how Goten was as a child, but what I do know is you've been a wonderful big brother to him. He was lucky to have you."

"I really wish you're right, Videl. I swear, if I ever find out about the one who had shattered Goten's dreams and my life…"

"… what will you do then?"

"I swear and I mean it. Whoever it was, he'll pay with his life. Maybe by my hands, maybe by my grandpa's, but I'll make sure he dies a painful and humiliating death."

Having read Trunks's letter, the reply Videl got from him filled her heart with genuine concern. "I really don't think it's a good idea, Gohan. You can't do that," she said.

"Why can't I? Watch me. Sooner or later I'm gonna find that bastard," Gohan growled, malicious determination brimming in his voice.

"The problem isn't whether you can find him or not. I'm telling you, you don't even need to think to know who did it to them. The problem is whether you can reach him or not."

"What… do you mean? Do you know something I don't? If you do, you better tell me right now before I get suspicious of you."

"That's why I passed those letters to you. One of them has your answer, but… brace yourself, Gohan. It's gonna be hard to believe."

Being too engrossed in his conversation with Videl, Gohan had forgotten about the two pieces of paper on his hand. He unfolded it and took a quick glimpse; the handwriting was quite neat—obviously it wasn't Goten's—but judging from the thickness of the strokes he could tell whoever it was who wrote the letter was very angry. When he read it, though, it didn't take more than one sentence to get him piqued, and with every period he saw he grew more and more incredulous and indignant at the same time.

_Goten's grandpa and Gohan,_

_Get away from the town as soon and far as you can.  
__My dad's gonna get you just because I played too much with Goten.  
__Ask Fasha if you don't believe it._

_That's also the reason why he chased us away from the Kingdom.  
__He even threatened to kill us. Can you believe it? It's not fair!  
__We've always been with Fasha, right? Our interactions are legal!_

_Plus, he framed us into meeting each other without supervision.  
__That way, he has a valid reason to catch us. I hate that jerk so much for that.  
__I hope his time comes really soon and he's gonna pay for what he's done._

_I'm sorry._

_Regards,  
__Trunks Brief_

When he had finished reading, Gohan jawdropped in total disbelief. Never had it crossed his mind that the boys' killer was the King himself, and the fact that he had had them executed rather than exiled raised serious questions about his disposition toward his own people. How would they react, especially those Praetorians and Nobles, upon learning about this obviously radical and controversial decision taken by their ruler? And if Vegeta was really that heartless to the point he unjustly killed his own son, what could he do to his people? Or rather, what couldn't he do? It was only a matter of time until this horrible piece of news started leaking out, and Gohan could already see some kind of an uprising taking place in a very near future.

"I have to tell gramps about this," said Gohan mainly to himself as he punched in Bardock's frequency on his scouter.

"Wait, Gohan! It's dangerous!" Videl pled for him to reconsider.

"Videl, I told you, I don't care whoever it was, he's going down. The King is mad, and you've read the letter too. Do you wanna be ruled by someone like that, who didn't even give a darn thought about killing his own son?"

"I understand your point, but this is… this is a coup d'état we're talking about here."

"Let it be a coup if it really has to. I don't like either of them, but I'd rather live in a lawless society than under the rule of a madman—"

"Hello?" a voice from over the line interjected.

When the call was answered, Gohan promptly asked his grandfather to locate him and come over as soon as possible. Of course Bardock was irritated for being ordered around like that much less by his own grandson, but he was told there was something he needed to know. He pressed Gohan for an answer, but the boy was quick to insist that he come and see for himself before advising him to get ready for a major battle of insane proportions. Gohan hung up as abruptly as he had started the conversation between them; left with no other choice, Bardock let out a very exasperated grunt, obtained his grandson's position with his scouter, and prepared to leave although he didn't quite understand about the part where 'major battle' was mentioned.

Having heard the conversation, Videl could only look at Gohan and sigh. "I really hope you know what you're doing. You're just gonna charge to the frontline like that, without any preparation? We don't even know how strong the King and Queen really are!"

"Just so you know, my grandpa's even stronger than some of the Praetorians themselves," Gohan boasted rather proudly, "And we're not alone. As soon as the news leaks, we'll have all the help we can get."

"Hundreds of lives will be lost, Gohan. Don't tell me you don't foresee that."

"I know, but… sacrifices had to be made. This is for our rights to live in peace. To free us from a corrupt rule. It's all for a bigger cause, and the loss will be worth it. Your father was in the Army, so I'm sure you're familiar with this concept, right?"

"Yeah… but it doesn't guarantee you're not among those killed in action."

"Don't worry, Videl. I'll do whatever it takes for Goten, but I'll be fine. Trust me," Gohan assured Videl as he unfolded the other letter, "Now let's see… this one's… Goten's handwriting."

Contrary to Trunks's letter, Goten's was totally melancholy in tone. With every word he read, Gohan could feel the pangs of hopelessness his brother must have gone through when he wrote this letter. He struggled to refrain from crying, but it proved too much for him to handle and a drop of tear managed to escape from the confines of his eye when he reached the last paragraph.

The letter read:

_Gohan,_

_You always pray for dad and mom every morning.  
__When I was a child I didn't know why you do that, but now I do._

_Will you pray for me every morning just like you always do for dad and mom?  
__I promise I'm gonna watch over you too with them._

_I'm sorry, Gohan.  
__I was selfish, and I think I deserve this._

_But you don't need to be sad, because I'll never forget you.  
__So don't forget me, okay, big brother?_

_Love,  
__Goten_

"He knew…" said Gohan as he finished reading.

Videl raised her eyebrows in confusion. "Knew about what?"

"He knew his time was almost up," replied Gohan without shifting his gaze from the letter, "That's why he wrote this. He knew he'd never meet me again in person…"

Gohan stood up and walked into the room in which Goten and Trunks lay lifeless on the bed. Once again he knelt by Goten's body and caressed his cold face which had started to pale and lose its light peach hue. He was suddenly reminded of those times in the distant past when he would do the same every night whenever his brother was about to go to sleep. While doing that, he subconsciously sung Goten's all-time favourite song, It's a Small World, and when he had finished one stanza tears threatened to spill again from his eyes.

"I forgive you, little brother. And you deserve better than this," believing his words could transcend space and time all the way to the Other World, Gohan whispered to Goten although his voice was slightly shaky, "I'll avenge you and Trunks so you can rest in peace. Just you wait, Goten. I'll do it for you."

Then, looking up at the heavens through the skylight, he said, "… I'll pray for you every morning, I promise. And I won't forget you, Goten… because I can't."

* * *

_Post-note: Sorry for the delay between updates. Currently my hands are kinda full since there's a heck of a lot of work to do in the office (performance appraisal is in a few days), plus I'm in the process of moving to a new house! Yay me! Please bear with me for the time being, okay? And thanks for still staying with me!_


	12. Beginning of the End

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Have a good read._

* * *

That afternoon, the news had begun to spread from mouth to mouth. Each and every Commoner in town now knew about the execution of Goten and Trunks, and if one were to look back to the origin of the communication network which had formed he would see Gohan at the centre of the circle. He had decided it was now the time to make good use of his status and step out of the seclusion he had gone through after so many years, so he revealed to the people—starting from those near Videl's house—the radical course of action taken by their ruler.

In the past, although it was known to everyone that the Prince and his trusted Praetorian aide would sometimes visit the town and interact with two certain Commoners, they had no idea who those particularly blessed and lucky people were. However, now that Gohan had revealed himself to be one of the two said people, they found it very hard not to believe him. His credibility was just consolidated when he, although reluctantly, showed them the letter written by Trunks as well as the bodies of his brother and friend as unquestionably solid proof.

No doubt, Vegeta's decision quickly achieved the status of being highly controversial. Since this particular piece of news had been the topic of the morning, it didn't take long for it to start propagating and finally leaked into the city via an extended network of communication. The power of words wasn't something to be laughed at; combined with interactions between people, the speed at which information pertaining to this case disseminated increased exponentially over time. As a result, by early afternoon there was no single soul outside the castle grounds who wasn't aware of the news.

Nobles, upon learning about the execution, grew indignant and started to doubt Vegeta's kingship. What would he do to them if he had the guts to murder his own son for whatever reason? And that wasn't considering the fact that he had openly and so whimsically violated what the Constitution had stated regarding the penalty of illegal interactions. They couldn't do much more than plan a protest march, though, since a good majority of them were non-fighters, and most of those who did fight were obviously many notches below the Praetorians in terms of power level.

However, things weren't the same beyond the city walls, especially when Bardock arrived at the scene.

When he arrived at Videl's house and learned about one of his beloved grandsons' death and its cause, he totally lost it and went bananas. It took a considerable amount of effort from Gohan and Videl to subdue and prevent him from rampaging, and what an accomplishment it was when they finally managed to do it considering Bardock's seemingly fathomless reserve of strength. Even then they still needed a heart of steel to calm him down due to the incessant stream of cusses coming out of his mouth, and when they finally did they found themselves as emotionally and mentally exhausted as the older man.

After many, many glasses of water, Bardock stood up and insisted on seeing Goten. Videl showed him her room where the boys were, and figuring he would appreciate some privacy she left him alone and closed the door so as not to disturb him. The full-grown, just like Gohan, then sat on the edge of the bed beside his grandson's body, but he just looked at him without speaking a single word. He didn't know how to feel, what to do, or whether he should think of himself as having lost his mind by talking to the now lifeless boy.

When he looked at Trunks, however, his heart began to fill with indescribable rage; he had read the letters and Gohan and Videl had told him the root cause of this ordeal they had to go through, which made his hatred toward the Prince shot right through the roof. Bardock couldn't believe he had dragged Goten into what was supposed to be his own problem, and although Goten wasn't exactly innocent for having obeyed him, his biased judgment made it extremely hard for him to forgive Trunks—even harder than forgiving Goten—for coming up with that insane idea of his.

Driven by fury, he clenched his teeth and clutched his palms so hard it drew blood. At first he was thinking of just letting it out right here, right now, but he still listened to his conscience and decided not to. Besides, he was in someone else's private property, and destroying it wouldn't make things any better than now. As much as he wanted to murder Trunks, he couldn't because he was already dead, and there was nothing he could do but save his anger for another occasion when it would be needed more; he knew that time would come very soon.

So, Bardock calmed himself down and took a seat. When he once again saw Goten's face, a calm but expressionless face, familiar painful pangs of loss assaulted him; he was reminded of his long lost son, of which his youngest grandson was an exact carbon copy although not so much on the personality side. It was true in the past he used to expect Goten to follow Kakarot's footsteps, but seeing he had grown into an abnormally playful and hyper child, he knew it wasn't going to happen. Besides, Gohan was there, and he had always seemed to be more than ready to live up to his expectations.

The bright side of Goten had more often than not irritated him, but it finally gnawed its way through his defences and softened his disposition toward the boy, although he wouldn't exhibit it in an outward manner. Despite his coldness, deep down inside he had always harboured a sense of protectiveness toward him, possibly because he reminded him so much of his son. How he wished he had displayed his affection in a more normal way… but it was now too late.

Even though he had said absolutely nothing and looked as stoic as ever, Bardock was utterly devastated in the inside. Never before had Bardock felt like this before, not even when he lost his son and daughter-in-law. Truth be told, he cared for Goten more than he ever did for his son, most probably due to the child's constant need for help and his perpetually positive outlook on life. Unlikely as it might seem, he had changed him into a better man, and it was obviously for the better; that was the reason why he decided to stay and watch over what was left of his family, whose two little young members had become a part of his life.

Then, for maybe the first time since Gohan's birth, he felt his vision becoming blurry as his eyes welled up with water. The loss of yet another of his loved ones had torn a huge hole in his heart nothing else could ever fill in. At the same time, though, it dawned upon him the reason behind his other grandson's mention about a major battle; he believed Goten's passing had synchronised his mind with Gohan's and gave him one final motivation to fight. Realising this, he stood up with unparalleled determination and strengthened his resolve, enough to prevent him from shedding a tear.

"I'll avenge you. Anyone who takes my life away from me and lives to tell about it will have to die," he spoke with calm demeanour although he was broken inside, "I'm sorry for being a harsh grandfather… but I've seen your strength. I can tell you've grown into a very strong warrior, especially for someone your age, and I'm very proud of you."

Bardock then proceeded to ruffle Goten's almost unique hair which still stuck out prominently into all directions even in death. "Rest well, my little grandson. And when you finally get to meet your parents, give them my regards."

* * *

In the castle, the situation was just as uncontrolled as it was outside.

That morning, Bulma went to the dungeons to pay her son and his friend a visit. She figured they would appreciate some consolation before their sending off later in the evening. However, when she set her foot on the castle yards, she couldn't believe what she saw; the bailey was littered with corpses of the patrol Praetorians, lying on the ground with their neck snapped but without any signs of struggle. It was as though they had been slain by someone lurking in the shadows: an assassin, as it were. And the horror didn't end there.

She descended the set of stairs leading to the dungeons and found the dungeon keeper lying lifeless just beside the gate which was wide open. Seeing the body, a dreadful feeling started to course through her body, and as she ventured deeper and deeper into the dungeons she grew more and more anxious. Obviously someone had broken into the dungeon and, assuming it was the same person all along, it was more than just possible the patrolling guards had been neutralised for this reason. If so was the case, there was a high chance of the culprit being someone exceedingly strong and crafty. With such a person on the loose, the safety of all the prisoners including Trunks and Goten was at stake.

When she finally got to the boys' holding cell, her fears were confirmed. The door was wide open and there was no one inside; the only indications that the cell had been occupied were tiny morsels of paper strewn all over and a sheet of thin cloth provided to Trunks and Goten by the dungeon keeper as a poor substitute of a quilt. Bulma could have felt relieved since there was the possibility of them being bailed out by someone, but for some reason she knew it wasn't the case and that something very awful must have taken place.

Therefore, intent on finding out what exactly had happened and where Trunks and Goten had disappeared, Bulma began asking around for clues. That was when the news was propagated; in just an hour, every single person in the castle was aware of the prison break. Tension escalated and anxiety arose for now their security had been compromised, which enabled people with malicious intent to make their way into and out of the castle grounds with extreme ease. In order to prevent that from happening, Bulma stationed some of the top Praetorians on the gates and the bailey to ensure their safety.

She figured it would be a good idea to expand her search further and include the city, or even the town if necessary, so she found her most trusted Praetorian, Fasha, and requested her escort. She agreed and both ladies promptly headed straight to the vehicle bay, but they were halted en route by another Praetorian. Panting and seemingly having something urgent to disclose, he saluted her by genuflecting before her.

"State your business, and make it quick," ordered the Queen. It was intended to be imperative, but her shaky voice toned it down.

"The people… the citizens," the Praetorian began as he got back to his feet, "They are holding a demonstration march outside the walls as we speak. The situation is getting more and more uncontrolled."

Bulma produced a noticeable frown upon hearing about the news. "Demonstration? About what? What is it that they possibly want?"

"Forgive my discourtesy, Your Majesty, but I believe by seeing it yourself you shall gain more insight than if I try to explain."

Torn between two options, Bulma weighed the pros and cons of each before deciding to have a look on her people first. Although the level of urgency was slightly lower, demonstrations and protests were unheard of ever since she could remember. As she made her way hastily to the observation deck atop the highest pinnacle of the castle she felt as though she had been in a race against her own heartbeat; two major events had happened in less than a quarter of a day, and she couldn't help being suspicious that they might be related to each other.

Even with her naked eyes she could observe a multitude of Nobles—no less than a hundred of them—crowding on the city side of the gates. It looked like they brought some banners with them, so she looked through the telescope in hopes of reading the writings as well as learning about what had triggered the demonstration. When she did, though, how she wished she hadn't.

Acting without regard to people's feelings, truth could be cruel and unrelenting sometimes.

She became numb to the passing of time and suffered from tunnel vision. Colours lost their chroma and objects were gradually reduced into their greyscale version.

Her world was shattered beyond repair into tiny morsels.

Hands trembling and hanging limply on her sides, Bulma could do nothing but stand where she was and stare blankly into space, stupefied and unable to bring herself into believing what she had just seen. Had she not been in a healthy state, there was no doubt she would have fainted on the spot.

The sight of her Queen being in total shock unnerved Fasha to no end. "Your Majesty, what's the matter?" she asked.

Bulma produced no answer, but before Fasha could repeat her question she darted inside the castle again to find Vegeta and confront him about the fact. Knowing Bulma would exhibit such a reaction, the other Praetorian could only stoop his head dejectedly and retreated inside with small steps, leaving his comrade all by herself on the observation deck.

Curious, Fasha too looked through the telescope in order to find out what had made the Queen react in a grim manner like that. When she did find out, she reacted in a similar way; on the banners the people brought with them were written 'The King is a murderer', 'Heartless tyrant', 'We know what you've done', and the likes, but there was a particular one which more or less summarised the root cause of the entire ruckus.

It read: 'What are we to you if you could do away with your own son?'

* * *

"Vegeta!" Bulma cried as she forced the door to the throne room open with an invisible but powerful energy wave.

The King, who was in the middle of his training with an imaginary foe, was taken aback by the extremely rude way his mate had made her entrance. He growled and rolled his eyes in frustration for having been disturbed, but ignored his mate and carried on nonetheless. Stubborn and demanding as he was, he thought if she was there for something important, it would need to wait until at least he felt contented of his training, which could very well take another hour or two.

However, the idea of waiting didn't occur to Bulma as favourable. She walked over to Vegeta, her heart burning with an untold amount of an amalgamation of anger, resentment, and disbelief, and interrupted him. "I can't believe it! You've acted against the verdict!"

"I don't understand what you're talking about," said Vegeta coldly without even shifting his attention from what he was doing, "Don't you see I'm busy? Now get lost, woman! This conversation never happened."

"Don't play dumb with me," Bulma seized his collar and hissed maliciously, "I know what happened to Trunks and his friend."

Normally Vegeta would blast into oblivion anyone who dared to lay even a finger on him, but this was his own mate. Although the two were locked in this awkward position, there was no denying the atmosphere was thick with tension to the point that one could possibly scoop it from the air. Vegeta then ordered the dumbfounded Praetorians who happened to be standing guard in the room to leave immediately, and when they finally did, he broke free of Bulma's grasp, shoved her away from him, and turned his back on her.

After a minute of uncomfortable silence, Vegeta began a conversation albeit in a very curt and coarse manner. "How?"

"The people," replied Bulma, "I'll have you know, they're flocking outside the gate in protest of your… horrible decision. Tell me it's not true, Vegeta. Tell me you didn't do that."

"Tsk. Those miserable pieces of garbage sure are a chatterbox," the male Saiyan frowned in exasperation, "I knew I should've silenced them too when I had the chance earlier."

There was no need to repeat that sentence for Bulma to understand the implied meaning behind it. "So it's true! You did that… you… you murdered them!" she hollered hysterically, thunderstruck by this revelation.

"How many times I have to tell you, woman, that I don't care in the slightest bit!"

"Trunks is our son, Vegeta! And you… how could you kill him just like that?"

"He WAS our son for two reasons. One, he had brought shame to the family. Two, he's DEAD. Now get over it!"

"You heartless person! We've raised him together, for crying out loud! We showered him with our love and did everything in our power to keep him happy! And what now? Everything's wasted and has gone down the drain!"

"YOU showered him with YOUR love," Vegeta growled and shot Bulma his best death glare very accusingly, "That's why he grew into such a soft, contemptible brat vulnerable to petty attachments."

Finding his reply highly absurd and hard to believe, the Queen retorted in her late son's defence. "What a self-centred man you are… that's our job as a parent, you—"

"I don't want to hear your nonsensical jabberwocky anymore!" Vegeta roared, cutting Bulma mid-sentence, "If you don't have anything better to say, get out of here!"

Again, silence rang in the air and the complete lack of sounds was deafening. Bulma was at total loss of words, unable to come up with a rational argument to counter Vegeta's highly irrational strings of sentences. For the first time in her life she regretted her decision to give birth to Trunks or be the King's mate for that matter; had she decided against it, although there was a non-zero chance she could have been shunned and demoted, she would have spared two innocent lives and the Kingdom from starting to fall apart.

Having run out of motivation as well as options, she decided to opt out from current affairs and throw everything at the supposed ruler of the Kingdom. Her anger brought her to the verge of exploding; to tell the truth, she could very well confront Vegeta the hard way on the spot and fight a battle to the death, but she didn't do it. Instead, she satisfied her sadistic side by leaving him alone in his endeavour to assuage the rampaging crowd outside and—as she put it—letting him have a taste of the people's fury.

"Everything's yours now," she said as she turned around and walked toward the door, "Good luck on being responsible for what you've done, you half-baked good-for-nothing. I'd rather die than help you."

Her reservation, though, would soon prove to be her own downfall.

When she turned around, Vegeta concentrated his energy on his palms. Quickly he cupped them in front of him, aiming at Bulma's back and ready to fire without her knowing. Despite the small size of the sphere between his palms, the wave would be very huge and the resulting explosion would surely raise alarm, but he didn't care. Besides, this attack wouldn't leave any evidence of murder; those unlucky enough to be in its path would simply be vaporised.

With a demented smirk gracing his lips, he said silently just as his mate finished her last sentence ever, "Let me assist you with that."


	13. A Dish Best Served Cold

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Have a good read._

* * *

"How do you feel, boy?"

"Well, what do you think, gramps? This is my first time raiding the castle, and I sure as heck hope it's gonna be the last."

"You're nervous."

"I'm trying not to be."

"Heh, trust me, when you're a high-ranking officer in the Army, this is a piece of cake."

Later that day, when the sun was starting to make its setting, a crowd of able-bodied Commoners and fighter Nobles flocked on the city square, situated just about fifty metres from the majestic gates of the castle. Thanks to Gohan's rather moving speech he had made earlier in front of the same crowd, they sympathised with him and were now driven by a common goal: sparing themselves from the potential reign of terror their ruler would most probably come up with in the near future.

That goal was the very same thing which had gathered them right here, right now. Armed with his charisma and Bardock's status in the Army, Gohan had succeeded in persuading the entire crowd to go ahead and aid his plan to overthrow Vegeta from his throne. One might think it was a boorish, reckless, and needlessly but certainly fatal decision fuelled merely by the need of vengeance, but truth be told and according to what the people believed right now, it was a myopic opinion. They were a group of people bent on stripping the King of his status and privileges; the people no longer acknowledged him as their ruler. They wanted a change, and for that change to happen they needed to come up with an action. Helping Gohan in his vendetta was that action.

Should the coup succeed, it was true there would be a period of vacancy following Vegeta's fall, but they had taken that into account. By participating in this onslaught, they had trusted their all to their commander, Bardock; in the condition that they survive and live to see another day, the people had agreed to live under his reign—a decision reinforced by the loss of trust and respect of the Royal Family—even though it meant a paraphernalia of things had to be modified. The possibility of their Kingdom taking a step or two backward was there, too, since it would surely take Bardock some time to conform to his new role, but at this point anything was better than Vegeta's cold, merciless hands of iron.

"You can still back off if you want to," said Bardock coldly. Trained ears, however, would perceive the genuine concern hidden behind it. "Don't be a liability to the platoon and yourself. If you think you can't handle it, go, now."

"I'm already here and I'm not about to change my mind. We're fighting for someone else, not us, and I'm not gonna let him down," Gohan gave a steadfast response despite his bouts of anxiety.

Pleased at his grandson's determination, Bardock flashed a smirk of pride, but not before giving him an advice of warning. "Remember this, boy. It doesn't seem like it now, but acting on your feelings alone might soon bring your downfall."

Gohan stooped his head in memory of his brother. "I can say the same to you, gramps. You came up with this entire plan of attacking the castle and it's because of… because of Goten."

"Heh, well played. Now get yourself ready, there's time for this later."

Bardock was correct. Although Gohan managed to hit him head-on with a cleverly crafted response which held a certain amount of truth, the frontline wasn't exactly the best place to discuss about their motivation. Besides, everybody knew about it already; there really wasn't a thing to hide the fact that what had set things into motion was Bardock and Gohan's grief over Goten's untimely departure. The people's hatred toward the King was just a tiny bit of a spark which would stay latent and unseen had the Sons not stepped up to the plate and took command over them.

In absolute resolve, Gohan focused his mind and readied himself for one living anathema of a battle. Having had his morale boosted by Bardock with a simple but uplifting tap on the shoulder, he held his head high and stared straight at the enormous castle looming in a distance. The sight of it made his heart race and there was this almost uncontrollable urge to just get it over with quickly, but he knew it wouldn't do them any good. That was exactly why he and his grandfather had come up with a strategy, and the time to bring their plan to life was now.

Gohan lifted his head and whispered silently to the clouds, "Goten, Trunks, watch me. I'll get this done, and after that you can rest in peace. I promise."

* * *

As prepared as they might seem, they weren't the only ones who were busy.

Just like the Commoners and Nobles, the Royals too were preparing themselves for the ensuing fight. They had been watching the people's activities from the observation deck ever since the demonstration march which served as a grim harbinger of their Kingdom's downfall was noticed. With the Queen nowhere to be found, there was no one to turn to for counsel; they were left with no choice but to comply with the King's demands to indiscriminately destroy each and every one of the people who had dared to take part in this major skirmish.

Since they usually sought the Senate's—followed by Bulma's—advice for peaceful solutions every time a dispute with the people took place, there was no denying the Praetorians were reluctant to carry out Vegeta's order. However, they knew better than to displease him; fearing the loss of their lives otherwise, there really was no other choice and they were forced to obey despite knowing at this rate, disarray was imminent. Vegeta didn't care about this, though, and he said in a very disgusted manner that the Kingdom was better off without the presence of those pieces of garbage, as he put it. He even went as far as stating he would hunt every last one of them—Nobles and Commoners alike—should he be given the chance.

And so, having received explicit kill-on-sight order, the lesser Praetorians positioned themselves in strategic spots along the castle walls as well as behind the gates. They had one plan, and it was to let the people march into the castle through the narrow gateway; when they did, they could be taken care of with a well-placed energy blasts to the pillars. That way, the canopy would collapse on them and the strength of the people would be diminished significantly.

Meanwhile, Vegeta and the five strongest Praetorians retreated into the throne room on the upper levels of the castle. The excessively proud King was still firm in his belief that he was still infinitely superior to the rest of the people, hence his unwillingness to participate directly in the battle. Dealing with them wasn't even in his list of things to do, and it would take more than the Devil's temptation to get him to change his mind. In other words, going down there was pointless and not worth his time, and he'd rather have his men do the dirty job.

When they got to the colonnade leading to the throne room, it came as a total surprise to the Praetorians that the enormous door which used to be there had been blown to bits. Pieces of debris littered the floor, the roof looked like it would collapse with the slightest touch, the beautiful marble floor was marred beyond recognition, and in general the extent of the damage was so severe. A gaping hole could be seen on the wall just across where the door used to be; from the look of things, it seemed as though someone had projected a very powerful wave of energy toward the door from the inside.

Curious, one of the Praetorians, the weakest among the five, raised an inquiry. "Pardon me, Your Majesty, but what is it that might have happened here?"

Instead of an answer, what he got was a cold, piercing glare from the King. "Do you really need to know, or do you just want to know?"

At the response he obtained the poor man apologised fervently. Visibly disgusted and irked, Vegeta muttered a curse word under his breath and retreated into the giant chamber after demanding that his elite band of Praetorians defend the doorway, or what was left of it, so as to prevent anyone to set foot inside the throne room. Not wanting to suffer his wrath, they complied with the order and stood guard on the designated place; from their position, they could observe very clearly what was happening on the castle baileys downstairs, thanks to the huge hole on the wall.

One among them, though, wasn't all that comfortable serving Vegeta.

Fasha, having served the Queen more than she had the King during her employment as a Praetorian, found his methods of handling the situation highly questionable and believed the clash it would surely trigger would be totally needless. Bulma would never take this course of action, even when violent people of lower classes were involved, as she had always been an untiring advocate of peace. Holding a forum was her favourite method of problem solving, and there hadn't been a single instance in the past where it failed. Blessed with charisma and an ability to sympathise, she had gained considerable respect from people from all over, and might have been the only member of the Royal Family who had a special place in Commoners' heart.

Nonetheless, the fact that she wasn't here when people most needed her to turn to disturbed her so much. Truth be told, there was this part deep down inside her which screamed suspicion toward Vegeta; nobody had seen the Queen ever since she discovered about the people's mutiny. Crazy as it sounded, somehow Fasha had got a strong feeling the King was involved in Bulma's disappearance. Her attempts to contact her were in vain, and neither could she locate her on her scouter. This had happened just a day ago when Trunks and Goten were under arrest and had their power levels restrained with collars of energy, and it served as the basis of her suspicion.

In fact, never before in her life had she trusted the King much due to his disposition and attitude toward Commoners, Nobles, and even some of the Praetorians. That disdainful attitude was just accentuated by the fact that he had murdered his own child, the child she thought he loved, in cold blood. How her comrades retained their loyalty toward him despite them having seen his true face was seriously beyond her.

As much as Fasha wanted to rebel against him and exact revenge, though, she couldn't, knowing very well her life could be ended quicker than a split second. Unless she was aided by the other Praetorians, she would have a candle's chance in a cyclone of winning, but that idea was just farfetched and she knew it wouldn't happen. To proceed with her agenda, she needed a miracle and the probability of it occurring was, at best, smaller than that of being struck by lightning right here, right now.

Fasha was still overwhelmed by her desire for vengeance when she heard a loud battle cry from below. A commotion followed shortly afterward which prompted the five Praetorians to have a look through the hole, and how surprised they were upon witnessing the multitude of people storming through the destroyed gateway. For some reason, it seemed the plan to contain forces of the people had been foiled, enabling them to march into the castle grounds and start the onslaught.

This was the moment they had been preparing for. They were confident the lesser Praetorians would be able to hold their ground against at least a good number of them due to being superior in terms of power level, but the truth remained that they—except Fasha—couldn't help but worry about the safety of Vegeta. True, he was the single strongest Saiyan in the entire Kingdom, but even he wouldn't be able to fend off that many people in one go although it was a highly unlikely scenario. Nevertheless, whatever it was going to take, four Praetorians were more than ready to give up their lives to protect the King.

The battle had begun.

* * *

Death.

That was all Gohan saw as he and his grandfather made his way across the baileys with much difficulty. Around him, his comrades fell one by one, although some managed to bring the Praetorians down with them. He struggled to avoid meeting the same fate as he swayed back and forth while pushing forward toward the front door of the castle, dodging energy waves, spheres, beams, and blades that happened to come his way.

This was the first time he got to witness with his own eyes how much of a fighter the Praetorians were. In the past, he had heard accounts told by various people who claimed that they, as soldiers of the Royal Army, possessed superlative fighting skills exceeding even the strongest Nobles. Those people were telling the truth; Gohan was now looking at the plain, harsh truth. Even when they were mortally wounded and outnumbered three to one, the Praetorians still managed to put up a good fight and hold their ground, bravely clinging onto tiny morsels of life they had left.

As much as Gohan wanted to aid the others, he knew it wasn't a good thing to do. He and Bardock were their best bet, so they had volunteered to stall the Praetorians and keep them busy to allow the Sons to slip into the castle unnoticed; if he stayed behind, their sacrifice would be for nothing. Being a first timer in an actual battle, he was all but distraught and almost cracked under pressure, but a part of his mind reminded him of his late brother for which he had decided to proceed with his decision. Besides, he had promised to his grandfather not to be a liability to the team. With those thoughts in mind, he rallied his courage, thanked his comrades in his heart, and rushed toward his destination.

Up the marble steps Gohan went, and he found himself face to face with a pair of enormous doors. Just as he was about to push them open, Bardock urgently beckoned at him from behind one of the pillars on the porch. Even from a distance Gohan could see he looked irritated, so he promptly approached him and stayed low.

"You shouldn't do that ever again!" Bardock hissed, disbelief audibly evident in his voice.

"I shouldn't do… what? What do you mean?" asked Gohan in confusion.

Hearing his grandson's naïve reply, Bardock rolled his eyes. "You fool! Now think, what if there are people behind the door? What if you get ambushed?" he asked, "You've seen those people, they're strong. Don't be careless! Think before you proceed!"

"Y-you're right. I'm sorry, gramps. I'll be more careful next time," Gohan realised his mistake and stooped his head in embarrassment.

"You'd better be. Now follow me, we're going to find a way in."

Stealthily but swiftly, the grandfather-grandson pair sneaked along the outer walls of the main building of the castle. The sun itself had set since about half an hour ago, providing them the perfect lighting condition—or the lack thereof—to stay hidden in the shadows. Carefully they examined every single window they encountered along the way, looking for the perfect break-in spot with the least possibility of getting busted.

Gohan suggested that they utilise the scouters to verify the positions of those inside and make things easier, but Bardock plainly turned down the idea. He said it wouldn't be of any use since there were too many power levels concentrated within the castle grounds, and everybody would be hidden in plain sight if one were to rely on the scouter now. When Gohan brought his blue eyepiece, he found out what Bardock meant; the scouter picked up a legion of excessively high power levels around them to the point it was impossible to tell the exact location of their target. Disappointed, he took it off and put it in his pocket.

After one trip and a quarter around the building, which was saying something due to its sheer size, Bardock stopped by a window. He decided to infiltrate the castle from there; after making sure no one was inside the room, he focused his energy to his fingertips without releasing it and knocked several times at the corner of the glass pane of the window, which caused it to give way. Fortunately, an explosion could be heard from the baileys at the exact moment the pane shattered, masking the sound of the mess Bardock just created.

The window led to a room with many beds and cabinets chock-a-block full of jars and bottles of liquid, which led Gohan to deduce it had to be an infirmary of some sort. Being a pragmatic person he was, Bardock didn't care where they ended up, and he proceeded to examine every corner of the room and readied himself to neutralise anyone who happened to be in the way. There was no one in there, though, so he walked carefully toward the door, which wasn't completely closed, and took a peek outside.

To his pleasant surprise, the door connected the sickbay to the main hall of the castle, and not even a single soul was there. Nonetheless, he kept his guard up; getting ambushed in the enemy territory without anyone to help him was the last thing he would ever consider. The grownup signalled at his grandson to follow him, and with excellent coordination between the two they managed to sneak across the hall and up the stairs and continue with their search for the evil King.

The interior of the castle was unnervingly quiet, totally in contrast to the crazy ruckus taking place just beyond the main doors. It was really convenient since Gohan and Bardock could proceed with their search very quickly, but at the same time uncomfortable. Ever since they broke into the castle, they hadn't seen anyone; this would be a godsend had the situation been different, but for crying out loud they were in the middle of a battle. Leaving one's own base unguarded wasn't exactly the best thing to do, and Bardock couldn't help being suspicious that they were walking straight to a trap.

Despite his justifiable paranoia, nothing unfavourable had happened to them so far. They had climbed countless flights of stairs trying to reach the upper levels of the castle where they believed Vegeta was taking refuge, but so far not even a single person was seen, which made him all the more suspicious. Of course there was a possibility the castle had been abandoned even before the battle started, but fuelled by the need for revenge Bardock and Gohan continued ascending the seemingly endless stairs, bent on finding Vegeta and making him pay for what he had done.

Finally, after around five minutes of uneventful and unfruitful search, they arrived at a long hallway on the highest level of the castle. Columns and pillars lined the hallway, making it look like an arcade of some sort, and a long red carpet covered the marble floor. The walls and ceiling were painted sinister, clinical white in contrast to the lower levels' slate grey, casting a frigid nuance which was accentuated by the chilly autumn evening air. All in all, this particular area looked very distinct from others they had seen, and Bardock concluded they must have reached the quarters of the Royal Family.

The beauty, however, was marred by trails of destruction at the middle of the colonnade. On the right wall was a gaping hole through which they could see very clearly the commotion taking place on the castle yards, while debris piled up at the doorway on the left, almost blocking access. With some effort, Bardock and Gohan managed to climb the pile of rubble and carefully peeked inside.

In the room were five people, standing guard in front of a pair of ornate, bejewelled tall sedilia. Judging from the elegant attire they were wearing, they had to be the highest-ranking Praetorians; the presence of Fasha among those five confirmed their hypothesis.

"This must be the throne room," said Bardock, although the reason why the King and Queen weren't in there was beyond him.

"So what do we do now?" asked Gohan, "Are we gonna just go in and question them and force them to tell us where Vegeta is? No, right?"

The grownup sighed. "I thought you've learned your lesson. Prematurely revealing yourself is one thing you'll never do in an assassination attempt… and I think you know those people are no laughing matter. We can't concern ourselves about them if you still want to succeed."

"Yeah, I can tell. They must be a lot stronger than those outside…"

"Let's leave them for now and carry on. We might be able to find that failure of a man someplace else."

With that, they got off the pile of rubble to continue their search, careful not to make loud noises that would alert the Praetorians. However, when they turned around, they were surprised by the sight of a man with flame-like hairdo, clad in regal attire complete with a flowing brilliant orange cape. Bardock and Gohan were forced to climb the rubble again to create some space between them and the man, but in doing so they alarmed the five people inside the throne room; in just seconds, the Praetorians—including a very distraught Fasha—had them surrounded with no means of escape.

They had been ambushed.

At his guests' surprise, Vegeta produced a smirk bearing a disdainful undertone and declared haughtily, "That's not going to happen since I've found you first."


	14. Homicidal Intent

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Have a good read._

* * *

Now surrounded by six ridiculously strong people, Bardock and Gohan had nowhere to hide. The full-grown Commoner might possess greater strength than the Praetorians, but that advantage was rendered useless should they decide to gang up on them, which was more than likely to happen. Besides, their escape route was blocked by Vegeta, whose presence seemed to fill the air with tension.

One of the Praetorians, though, who went by the name of Fasha, felt like Bardock and Gohan's arrival had ignited a spark of hope deep down inside. It was true she was at first surprised by their presence within the castle premises, but she didn't need anyone to elaborate to her the reason. They were demanding justice for Goten's demise just like she was for Trunks's, and by working together perhaps it was possible to achieve those goals. But two questions remained: when would she make her move, and how?

"So, a pair of rats succeeded in making their way inside. I must say I'm impressed," the King flashed a sarcastic simper and spoke in very condescending tone.

"If your guards were more competent than they actually are, I wouldn't be able to sneak here and you'd have one less problem to deal with right now," Bardock retorted. Although thoughts of getting out of this sticky situation raced in his mind, he didn't give in to fear and managed to speak very resolutely and convincingly.

His comeback, though, wasn't taken lightly by one of the Praetorians. Hearing him, he stepped forward and struck him on the face; the force of the blow was enough to send Bardock stumbling backward although it was just because he didn't see it coming. "Is that the way you respond to him?" the Praetorian hollered.

"If I'm wrong about your capabilities, then prove it!" answered Bardock as he regained his balance, "But if I'm right, why did you strike me?"

"Why, you! Know your place, Commoner! I'll teach you to—"

"Enough of this, Articoke!" Vegeta interjected. Irritation was unmistakeably audible in his voice. "You talk like you did the right thing! I didn't remember giving you permission to do anything, or are you telling me I'm wrong?"

Totally surprised, the Praetorian known as Articoke stooped his head in what seemed to be a mix of fear and embarrassment and stepped back. The King's sudden outrage was enough to send him trembling, and while retreating he said, "Please excuse my incivility, Your Majesty."

"Ugh… uncouth lowlife," Vegeta snorted in disgust and muttered a silent curse word under his breath.

No one dared to speak even a single word for fear of yet another outburst. Bardock and Gohan, although the latter was on edge, stood with their back facing the other's, keeping their guard up to prevent unnecessary yet unfortunate incidents from happening to them. Besides, it was naturally the best course of action to take; surrounded by the strongest Saiyans whose presence intimidated Gohan to no end, they weren't at all fond of the idea of taking chances and getting caught off-guard as the result.

After scrutinising the Commoners with javelin-sharp gaze, Vegeta finally spoke, breaking the minute-long uncomfortable silence. "Now then, let me hear your account on what brought you here. And that means you," he pointed at Bardock, "are the one who is to answer me. I don't want to hear the brat's rants. He reserves the right to stay silent."

"You and your stupid rules!" hearing Vegeta's words, Gohan cried in indignation, "I have the right to speak up! You can't suppress people's freedom of—"

Before he could even finish his sentence, though, he found himself being pushed away by an invisible energy wave. The sudden force with which the wave sent him away wasn't something to be laughed at, and it caused Gohan to slam onto a pillar with so great a force it began to crack; had he been an everyday Commoner, he would have been killed. The impact and the sound it emitted made Fasha cringe and look away, fearing Gohan might have been severely injured.

Wasting no time, Bardock rushed toward his grandson to aid him and help him stand. How relieved he was when learning nothing bad other than minor cuts and bruises had happened to Gohan; he wouldn't forgive Vegeta—neither would he be able to forgive himself—otherwise. Seeing the teenager got up without apparent difficulty, Fasha too let out a silent sigh of relief, but the fact that Gohan had been hurt needlessly just intensified the flames of hatred toward Vegeta raging within her.

In an instant just as Gohan regained his balance on his feet, the Commoners had themselves surrounded once again by the castle dwellers. Casting a malicious glare at Vegeta, Bardock did everything he could not to give in to his anger and lost control of himself. "Leave the boy out of this," he said.

"Oh, I'd love to, if only he'd kept his foul mouth shut," replied Vegeta in a very disdainful manner, "Don't tell me you didn't see him so openly disobey my command. I believe I've made it clear so you idiots can understand even with those tiny brains of yours."

"That doesn't justify your use of force. You had other options, he's just a kid!" Bardock hissed. He was just a breath away from releasing his pent-up anger.

"Ah, yes. A young kid, completely oblivious and lost in the luxury of idealism. That's exactly why I need to teach him a thing or two about… how ugly life really is, especially for you who are of a disgusting class of Saiyans."

"Heh, it seems to me you're doing this just because you hate us, a disgusting group of people, or so you said."

"Enough of your ranting! Now you, not the brat, will answer me. What circumstances have brought you here?"

This was it. Bardock was prepared for this, and if Vegeta asked for his reason to be here, then it was what he would get. "Then let me just get straight to the point. I'm here for vengeance."

"I don't understand what you're talking about."

"You've taken my beloved grandson away from me."

"How do you know if I did, and what if I didn't?"

"Stop toying with me! You murdered him and your own son!" Bardock roared in utter indignation. To Vegeta's surprise, he flashed Trunks's letter, the very letter which had given rise to the entire commotion currently taking place. "I don't care about him, but how could you be so heartless? After this, do you expect your people to trust and have faith in you? You're a failure of a leader!"

"You're in no place to question me, Commoner! But if you really want to know, then listen very carefully. This is MY Kingdom," the King haughtily pointed at his chest with his thumb, "which means we're playing by my rules. Of course, that means I can do anything I want."

"That's a weak excuse. Do you know how I feel when I saw my grandson lying lifeless? Not being able to be at his side during his final moments, do you know how it feels like?"

"Your feeling, or others' for that matter, is not even in my list of things to worry about. And while we're at it, let me tell you something," Vegeta smirked knowingly, much to Bardock's discomfort, "You know that woman who thought she had control of the Kingdom?"

"If you mean the Queen, it doesn't concern me. Your soldiers might be interested, though."

"Or so she was known as to the multitude. You know what happened? Of course you didn't. That's because nobody saw me kill her."

At this revelation, the Praetorians were taken aback by surprise. Fasha, who had been watching passively as the event unfolded, was no exception, and the rage she was burning with after learning about the truth was indescribable. The flames had intensified into a firestorm, and just like Bardock she got into an extremely volatile state. To say she was distraught was a major understatement, but at the same time it wouldn't take much to cause her to explode with pure anger and sadness. She couldn't believe her ears; first she had to deal with the Prince's death, and now her suspicion of Vegeta's involvement in the Queen's disappearance had been proven, albeit in a very distressing manner.

"You… killed her?" Bardock did a double take, wide-eyed and unbelieving of what he had just heard, "But why would you? How can someone as cruel and heartless as you even exist?"

"I thought you said it was none of your business, but since you're going to die anyway, let me shed some light," Vegeta shrugged nonchalantly. He felt like being the Angel of Death himself; it was as though talking about taking people's lives were a trivial matter to him. "They've been corrupted and were as good as trash! Do you really think I want people with impure blood to be my family members?"

"I really don't understand what fuelled your hatred toward us Commoners, but whatever it is, it doesn't justify your actions," said the deeply upset grandfather in a disgusted tone of voice.

"You won't understand. This is strictly a Royal's business and you have no right to be butting in, much less making a remark about it!"

"Is that seriously how you treat your people, restricting their freedom of expressing opinion? Incompetent—"

"SILENCE!" Vegeta interjected with his roar, "I've let you live long enough. That's not something I usually do, and you should be grateful! Now it's too late to thank me, because I have to clear the mess outside by taking them out one by one. You'll have to excuse me."

In shock and confusion, Gohan voiced out again, completely unheeding of the consequence he might have to bear for failing to comply with Vegeta's irrational demands. "Wait! What do you mean, taking them out?"

"Oh, I'm just going to kill every single one of them. It's that simple, really," said Vegeta.

"You can't possibly do that. Not on my watch!" Gohan pumped his fist in anger.

"Fool. You have no idea how I'm more than capable of decimating them all with just a swipe of my arm," said the King again, smug as ever, "Let me just tell you that I'd love to start the carnage with you two, but I'll give these soldiers of mine the honour to do it." He then gestured at the Praetorians and all six of them very quickly surrounded the grandfather-grandson pair, depriving them of any possibility of escape. For once, Vegeta felt satisfied of how his soldiers obeyed him like a flock of sheep did its shepherd.

"You monster…"

Vegeta only responded to Gohan's remark with a devilish chuckle. As he turned around to exit the throne room, he finally gave the Praetorians his command, "Kill them."

This was the moment they had been waiting for. No questions were asked, and the soldiers agreed…

… except for one.

The others were about to make their move, but Fasha sprung up into action and finally revealed her allegiance with the Commoners. With unmatched swiftness and lightning-fast movements, she delivered quick but immensely powerful acrobatic kicks to the Praetorians' neck, instantly killing three of them on the spot and sending another one hurling onto the wall. Before the survivors had the time to even react and make sense of what had just happened, she followed up her assault by Afterimaging to right in front of Vegeta, whose back was turned away, and landing an elbow strike on his face.

Dumbfounded and taken by surprise, Vegeta struggled to regain his balance staggered backward toward the very dumbfounded Bardock and Gohan. When he finally gained his footing, he shot Fasha his death glare. "What's the meaning of this, Praetorian? Explain!" he demanded.

"I always know you're a heartless person ever since Prince Trunks was a baby. You never showed affection to him, and you always came up with all kinds of excuses not to let him mingle around with people in Presentation Festivals," replied Fasha, her voice cold, distant, and emotionless. It was totally in contrast to what she felt deep down inside, where the desire for vengeance was burning and threatened to consume her psyche. "After all you've done, especially to the Queen, do you really think I acknowledge you as my King? I only answer to the Queen and Prince. Tell me, why should I serve someone who's as cruel as you?"

"Gah… impudent low-class warrior! Know your place, worm!" Vegeta gritted his teeth in sheer exasperation. Now that the tables were turned against his favour, he was left with an option other than to retreat. However, it was then when the surviving Praetorian got up to his feet, drawing everyone's attention; quickly Vegeta seized the opportunity to make his escape and bark orders at him before withdrawing to the hallway. "You! Hurry up and take care of them right now! Consider this your final order!"

The Praetorian, a hulking man with somewhat long, black mane-like hair, promptly obeyed the King's command and walked toward his three adversaries in huge, intimidating steps. Just by looking at him one could already feel his enormous power, which explained how he managed to survive Fasha's surprise attack which had claimed the lives of his fellow soldiers. Wary though otherwise bloodthirsty, the man loomed before Fasha and flashed a purely sadistic smile, looking all pumped up and ready to start the slaughter.

Fasha was aware of the strength of this man they had to deal against. Despite her superior strength and high ranking among the Royal Army, she wasn't the strongest Praetorian; that title was reserved for the man before her. As much as she wanted to get Vegeta, she had to keep this man at bay since he would doggedly pursue them even to the ends of the earth. His loyalty to the King was unquestionable, and just like a brainwashed follower he would carry out what he was told without a single drop of doubt.

Intent on protecting the Sons, the female Praetorian positioned herself between them and her ex-comrade. "I'll hold him off. Bardock, go after Vegeta and stop him," she said with unfailing determination.

"Fasha, no! In case you can't tell, his power level is crazy. You can't possibly win against him!" exclaimed Bardock. He insisted that they fight together as a team to increase their chances of winning.

"There's no time! You have to go, now. If I go with you, I'm just going to slow you down," Fasha retorted, "If you know I can't win against Broly, that means you've admitted I don't have a chance against Vegeta."

"What are you saying? You don't have to do this, we can—"

This time he was interjected by Gohan. "She's right, gramps. Even without my scouter I know he's very strong, just like you said," the boy approved Fasha's claim and concurred, "But you have to get the King. Don't let him get away. I'll stay here and help buy some time for you."

"Don't be stupid, boy. You can't possibly win! We'll fight him together, and I won't take 'no' as an answer!"

"Gohan's right, Bardock," again Fasha butted in, trying to get Bardock to leave, "Now listen to me. Turn left as soon as you exit the room. Vegeta's heading that way, to the observation deck. That freak's got a god complex, and at this rate he'll destroy everyone down there if you lose him! You can't let that happen!" Then, in what seemed to be a desperate attempt to convince him, she held his hands in hers and cast a soul-searching gaze into his eyes. "Remember the reason you're here, Bardock. Avenge Goten, the grandson you love so much. As for me, this is the least I can do for Her Majesty and His Highness. I hope they're happy in the Other World… and so is your grandson."

"Fasha, I don't—"

"GO! NOW!"

An uncomfortable silence followed. However, having no other options to consider, Bardock finally nodded in agreement, albeit rather reluctantly, and complied with his comrade's plea. "Alright. Stay alive, okay? And that means you too, Gohan. You're everything I have left now. Don't die on me, otherwise there's nothing else for me to live for."

"…I'll try to, gramps. I promise," replied Gohan.

After patting his grandson's shoulder for encouragement and telling him to be strong, Bardock made a dash for the doorway. Broly, the other Praetorian, noticed this; he attempted to intercept the vengeance-driven full-grown Commoner and prevent him from getting to Vegeta, but what happened was quite the contrary. Fasha and Gohan materialised into view right in front of him, stopping him dead in his track. When the teenager stole a glance behind, his grandfather had disappeared from view, so he let out a relieved sigh before focusing his attention on the threat he had to face right here and now.

"You're not getting anywhere. Fight us first, Broly," Fasha readied herself in a fighting stance.

The hulking man relaxed a little, stared at the defector, and spoke in a very intimidating tone, "I can't believe it, Fasha. Why do you suddenly turn your back on us?"

"Hmph… sorry, but it's totally personal. You really think I would blindly follow orders without giving any thought?" asked Fasha.

"Your loyalty is questionable. It makes me wonder why His Majesty didn't dispose of you when he had the chance."

"Moron. It's because I've been hiding it all along. I guess I'm the only Praetorian who escaped being brainwashed by Vegeta, hm?"

"Say what you wish, but do you really think you can defeat me? A Commoner like you stands no chance against me, a Noble!"

"I'd say good luck with that. Even a piece of trash can defeat an elite if he trains hard enough. And if you want proof, then take a look around," said Fasha. She pointed at the dead bodies of the other Praetorians and simpered sarcastically. "Nappa, Articoke, and Paragus, your father… they were once Nobles. Brace yourself, because I'm about to do the same to you."

"Then I'm going to prove you wrong! Struggle all you want. In the end you're going to die anyway!"

With that, Broly pumped himself up with a cry, and a crazy build-up of energy to flow from his body as a sudden gust of wind blew. His power level kept going higher and higher by the second, eventually causing Gohan's scouter to overload and explode. A blazing bluish white aura could be seen enveloping his body, testifying the extent of his powering-up. However, his sanity seemed to be eclipsed by the sheer power; the more he pushed himself to the very limit, the more frequent he let out bouts of deranged laughs.

Bracing herself for the worst, Fasha readied herself for one living anathema of a battle. "You ready, Gohan? I won't lie to you, we're just seconds away from a fight you wish you never engaged in."

"… for His Highness Trunks… and for Goten," said Gohan. He clenched his fists in angry determination, then lifted up his head and very resolutely affirmed his readiness. "Let's do this. It's an honour to fight alongside you, Fasha."

"I'm glad, too, but we should save it for later. If we can survive, that is."

* * *

Meanwhile, Bardock gave everything in his being to find Vegeta before he had the chance to decimate every single person fighting downstairs. How he would do that was beyond him, but judging from the fact that he was headed to the observation deck, it was possible he would snipe at them from above with energy beams or even just vaporise them with overwhelming salvo of blasts. Regardless of the method, Bardock wasn't going to let Vegeta have his way, and doing exactly that was of the utmost priority.

He thought the throne room was on the uppermost level of the castle, but apparently it wasn't the case. In order to reach his destination, he still needed to climb countless flights of stairs, which shouldn't have come as surprising considering observation decks should be high above the ground to serve their purpose. There seemed to be no other way to get there, so he continued climbing the spiral stairs leading to the top of one of the castle spires.

Finally, after several minutes of running up the stairs, Bardock reached the top of the tower. Waiting for him there were a door and an open walkway, and he had absolutely no idea which one to take; this was no time to doubt, though, and believing his gut feeling he decided to traverse the walkway. Situated treacherously high above the ground, it led to a circular area atop another tower just across where he came from. This had to be the deck, and Bardock could only hope he could get to Vegeta in time…

… but he was seconds too late.

Just as he reached the end of the walkway, a blinding flash of light emanated from one side of the deck, and a wave of energy was projected onto the castle baileys where there were a multitude of people fighting each other. Bardock could only watch in horror as the wave inched closer and closer to the ground, and in just a blink of an eye a huge explosion could be heard from below and. No doubt, the fight turned into confusion as the belligerents scurried in hurry to find cover and avoid meeting the same fate as those unlucky enough to get caught in the explosion.

Intent on stopping the King's second attempt to blast those poor people into oblivion, Bardock navigated his way around the deck. Now he was just in time; standing at the edge was Vegeta, who was charging another wave. Before he had the chance to launch it, though, the Commoner threw a sphere of energy to his direction, distracting him and causing him to stop charging his attack.

"You won't do that for the second time," said Bardock, his hand still stretched out to send another attack should the need arise.

Vegeta dropped his hands, letting them hang lazily as he lifted his head and stared at the great yonder. His back turned on Bardock, he said, "You never learn. Do you have any idea what you've just gotten yourself into?"

"Oh, I do very much. In fact, I can foresee what the outcome of this encounter will be," replied Bardock with a high degree of confidence, "This is a takeover, and I'm here to represent everyone who's sick of you… as well as those you've murdered!"

Hearing the response, Vegeta let out a laugh and turned around. "Don't be ridiculous! You do know how wide the gap between us is, yet you still believe you can even knock me off balance?" he pointed at Bardock haughtily, "Your judgment has been warped by your obvious dislike of me, and that's as expected from someone with limited intelligence they all love to call 'Commoners'."

"You're a hypocrite. Do you know what you just said applies more to you than to me?"

"Do you think I care? I believe I've said something about how we're doing everything my way here, and if I don't like you, there's nothing you can do about it."

"So it's true you've got a god complex. I pity you."

"I DON'T TAKE PITY FROM MISERABLE VERMIN LIKE YOU!"

Without warning, Vegeta flung a charged energy sphere at Bardock, but the latter nimbly jumped away. He needed to watch his footing, though; there wasn't exactly much room to on the observation deck, and it would take only one misstep to send him plummeting to his death. The blue sphere zoomed past him and made its way to the walkway from which Bardock came, blowing up a part of it and rendering it almost impassable.

A minute of silence followed with both Saiyans staring at each other, carefully waiting for the other to make the first move. When Bardock finally did, Vegeta leapt into action; quicker than the eyes could see, they moved around the deck and exchanged blows before leaping somewhere else. The process repeated for five more times before they finally settled down again, continuing the staring contest and creating yet another period of calm.

The next second, Vegeta sprung up into action again. This time he immediately went for the offensive and threw countless strikes with his arms, legs, and tail, but Bardock was able to deflect them all. He was irked by the fact that there existed someone who was actually able to hold his ground against him, so he sent a barrage of beams, hoping at least one of them would skewer his opponent to death, but to his surprise none connected. Vegeta growled in vexation, and by doing this he inadvertently gave Bardock an opportunity to retaliate; the latter managed to get low and land a sharp uppercut to the former's chin which caused him to stumble backward.

"What's the matter? Is that seriously all you've got?" Bardock taunted Vegeta and smirked almost self-contentedly.

Vegeta quickly recovered and regained his balance. He felt something wet and slightly viscous running down from his mouth; how surprised he was upon finding out it was blood. This was uncalled for since no one had ever been successful in landing a hit on him, not even his son and mate, let alone draw blood. "You… no one mocks me like that and lives to tell about it! No one! And you'll die a slow, painful death you'll wish you've never been born!"

"You simply don't want to admit I'm as strong as you, do you? If you think I'm going to be that easy to defeat, you're sadly mistaken."

"Yes, yes, let it all out! Live boldly, even for just a few moments… because your time is up!"

Without giving any cue Vegeta flung three circular rings. Not knowing what would happen should they establish contact with him, Bardock again stepped aside to dodge them, but it was no use. One of the rings homed in on his neck and the other two on his wrists, and in no time he felt like all his energy was drained out of his body and, against his will, dropped to his knees.

He tried to stand, but even doing simple things such as lifting his hands off the ground seemed to require a great deal of effort. Feeling extremely lethargic, he perspired profusely in just a matter of seconds. He couldn't even raise his power level; somehow those rings had the ability to regulate it at low, non-dangerous levels, rendering him helpless and motionless.

"What… have you done?" Bardock panted out of exhaustion.

"In case you can't tell, I was just making things easier for me and more horrible for you," Vegeta flashed a sadistic smirk, "Now where were we? Ah, yes… you were as strong as me, I admit that. But note that I said 'were'."

At this point Bardock was brimming with fury. He gave his all in an attempt to break free from his restraints. "You monster!"

"No, no! Don't make it hard on yourself. It'll be more convenient if you just stay still."

"I'm not going to. If you really want me to stay still as you wish… you'll have to make me to."

"You sure are a feisty one, aren't you?" said Vegeta condescendingly, "Well then, if that's what you desire, so be it. Let the torture begin."

Vegeta struck Bardock repeatedly as though it had been the last day of his life. Being drained out of energy, the vengeful grandfather couldn't do much but guard as many blows as possible and try to stay alive through this torment, although he knew not when it was going to end. However, considering it was Vegeta who carried it out, it sure wouldn't be anytime soon, and he knew there was something else to come after all the pummelling.

And Bardock was correct in his prediction. After a minute of being punched and kicked like a training dummy, Vegeta commended his toughness and even went as far as mockingly offering him to be his personal Praetorian if he was willing to renounce his ways and turn to his side. Of course Bardock straightaway and blatantly rejected this offer and the King wasn't surprised by this reaction; he was going to continue tormenting him regardless of the answer anyway.

This time Vegeta included energy beams in the package that he, in purpose, aimed at non-vital organs. He did this to satiate his dark, sadistic side just so his opponent could still survive to feel the pain. With every beam piercing through his limbs, Bardock cringed to combat the excruciatingly stinging pain, and Vegeta let out a devilish laugh at the sight.

"I told you, right? I told you I'll show you terror more frightening than death itself?" asked Vegeta between his bouts of laughter.

To his surprise, Bardock still didn't show signs of giving up despite the fact that he was now sporting countless wounds—some of them severe—and driven by the burning desire of fulfilling his vengeance his spirit was still strong as ever. "This… is nothing… compared to what I've gone through today!"

"Oh, really? I dare you to say that again after hearing what I'm about to tell you," Vegeta smirked knowingly. In his mind were a collection of false stories he had fabricated to further escalate the anguish Bardock was going through, so he began reciting it one by one. "You know, your pitiful grandson had gone through this state too. He squealed like a little girl when I tortured him, crying out for his brother and grandfather…"

It seemed Vegeta's mental torture was starting to bear fruit. "Stop telling lies! My grandson was a strong boy. He would never do that!" Bardock yelled in indignation.

"How could you tell? You weren't there to witness the event first-hand," Vegeta continued while keeping the offensive momentum, "Yes, there's another one I'm sure you'd really like to hear. He cried very loudly when I broke his fingers slowly, one by one… until he had no more tears to spill. You should've seen the look on his face when he pled for my son to help him, but he didn't because he was half-dead…"

"No… that couldn't possibly happen!"

"And finally, the part I love the most. You know what happened just before I killed him? He completely cracked. He was disappointed in you. Did you know he was expecting you to come and save him? He seemed to be in so much pain, though, so I decided to just do away with him."

"You bastard… stop it…"

Again, Vegeta gave a smirk as he continued with his lies and assault on the now physically and emotionally worn-out Commoner. "And so… just like what I did to you, first I pierced his hands to a wooden frame. Then his feet. And his tail. It reminded me so much of the preparation for vivisection performed in biology classes. I think if he still had tears to spare, he would've flooded the chamber. Oh, if only you'd seen how he was on the brink of insanity in his final moments."

"No… you're lying! There are… no such wounds on his body!"

"Finally, I stabbed him right through the heart… very, very slowly. That's bound to leave an open wound. You didn't miss that one, did you? Then you know I was telling the truth all along," said Vegeta. Seeing Bardock was about to lose his mind, he threw his head back and laughed manically. "Well, I guess that's about it. Now, since your grandson was looking for you at the time of his death, why not we just fulfil his wish? I'm sure he didn't like to be kept waiting."

"You can't do this…"

Vegeta only smiled wickedly hearing Bardock's response. In fact, he actually enjoyed it. However, all things had to come to an end, plus he had to quickly get back to what he had left earlier: taking care of the commotion downstairs by eliminating each and every single belligerents. Not wasting any time, he prepared to launch a barrage of beams at Bardock. "Have a nice trip to the Other World, and when you see your grandson, tell him I'm not sorry!"

When he was about to execute Bardock, though, he had to dodge a surprise energy wave, forcing him to cancel his attack and leap aside. When he turned, he was surprised to see two figures across the gap on the walkway he had created earlier with his blast, and when the dust cleared he got even more astonished. Believing they had been taken care of, those two were the ones he hadn't expected to see ever again.

They were Gohan and Fasha.

"Argh! Those scum tricksters are just like weeds!" Vegeta growled. In irritation, he stretched his hands and charged an immense wave of energy in retaliation.

Although their injuries were very apparent, he was glad they survived the battle with Broly. However, knowing what would happen, Bardock desperately yelled at them. "No, get out of there! He's going to—"

Too late.

It only needed less than two seconds for Vegeta's attack to fully charge. Quicker than a flash of lightning, a huge wave was projected toward the unexpected guests' direction. With a huge explosion it vaporised what was left of the walkway, and the chance of the two getting caught in it was very high. Bardock could only watch wide-eyed in absolute terror as pieces of debris fell down to the ground down below, and worse yet, he couldn't perceive any signs of his comrade and grandson.

What he dreaded the most had finally happened. His life had been taken away from him.

"And that's how you deal with weeds. You need to get them by the roots," said Vegeta.

For all he knew, the sheer force of the explosion had erased even the slightest traces of Fasha and Gohan's being, leaving Bardock in a psychotic state. His thoughts and emotions were so impaired they ran haywire. No words could come out of his mouth, not even one letter, and to say he was in extreme shock and grief was an understatement.

Bardock clenched his teeth, stooped his head, and clutched his palms so hard they drew blood, although where the power came from was beyond him. He felt his judgment, clear thinking, and common sense all slip away from his head. Suddenly he was reminded of Goten; images of him laughing, whining, crying, smiling, and pouting ran around his mind, bludgeoning his already exhausted brain. In his mental anguish, an unbelievable efflux of energy started to emanate from his body. Drawing strength from his anger and sorrow, he got back to his feet, very much to his tormentor's unpleasant surprise. And that wasn't all.

When he looked up to see the man who had robbed him of his loved ones within a one-day window, anger and malice clouded his vision. His dark eyes, now radiating an untold dose of spite, were fixed at Vegeta's and gradually the deep black was replaced with a viridian hue. As he walked slowly toward the only surviving member of the Royal family, he was finally able to break free of the rings that were previously restraining him.

Forced to step back by Bardock's intimidating advance, Vegeta was lost in bewilderment. This kind of scenario had been unheard of before, and he couldn't help but wonder what it was that he was seeing with his eyes right now. "What happened? Your power… this can't be happening! What are you?"

Finally, having lost control of his emotions, Bardock snapped and let everything out. With a cry, he gave in to his great sorrow. There was nothing in his head but an urge to rip Vegeta into tiny morsels with his own hand. As though answering to his primal desires, his power level shot up; an aura of golden colour enveloped him and began pulsating gently, accompanied by occasional streaks of electricity. His hair, which was now golden yellow in colour, stood on its end in a stiff manner.

Bardock had transformed into what had long been considered a fabled legend.

"Shut your mouth. Knowing it won't make any difference," he said very coldly, "since you're going to die anyway."

* * *

_Post-note: Sorry for the delay in updating. I've been busy as crazy dealing with administrative matters arising due to moving house and helping my housemates with it._


	15. Novation

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT / It's a Small World._

_Have a good read._

* * *

Not even a minute had passed, but Bardock had already gained the upper hand.

The newly transformed Saiyan warrior pummelled Vegeta with extreme ease, and with his newfound speed the latter didn't even have the slightest chance to land a hit on him. Vegeta was bewildered beyond belief; just a moment ago he was able to corner him into major trouble, but right now everything was just contradictory. He had underestimated his true might in his transformed state, and as a punishment he was dragged into a very rough situation.

Despite his overflowing power, though, Bardock deliberately delivered light and quick strikes instead of dealing the finishing blow straightaway, a feat both he and Vegeta knew he could accomplish so easily. In a desperate longing for retribution, he slowly whittled away the King's defences and made him suffer before finally killing him. To Bardock's dismay, Vegeta didn't fare too well in the fight, so he created an opening to allow him to retaliate.

Even then, he managed to either dodge or deflect every single one of Vegeta's attacks and energy blasts by swaying back and forth. Indignant beyond belief, Vegeta stepped backward to create some space and formed an energy sphere easily measuring half a metre in diameter, and launched it, but Bardock kicked it away, perturbing its intended trajectory and sending it away into the sky.

"That's too slow," said Bardock, "Let me show you what I mean by fast."

Without waiting for response, he stormed Vegeta and dealt him countless blows, Afterimaging between each strike to confound him even further. Seeing his helplessness, Bardock smirked in delight; he had never experienced this feeling before, but this time he just felt torturing his opponent was the right thing to do.

Finally getting bored of light strikes, Bardock got ready for the real deal. He seized his opponent's wrists and squeezed them so hard the bones began to shatter under the pressure. He didn't stop there; with his grip still firm and tight, he twisted Vegeta's arms extremely slowly, destroying his carpal bones and of course eliciting a gut-wrenching howl of pain.

"How does it feel like to have a taste of your own medicine?" Bardock simpered darkly.

"S-stop this! This is… completely unnecessary!" Vegeta pled. For once in his life he felt fearful of the thought of losing a battle, and he would do anything to prevent it from happening.

His plea, though, fell on deaf ears. Bardock continued entertaining his sadistic side by forcefully turning Vegeta around and delivering a chop to one of his elbows from behind, causing it to bend to the wrong direction. He then proceeded to do the same to both knees, depriving the King of his ability to stand, much less walk. Although no blood was spilt, it was an excessively terrible and gruesome sight to behold, and if a fainthearted person were to witness this he would faint in a matter of milliseconds.

"And now for the final blow. Are you ready?" asked Bardock, his voice deceptively calm.

"No! Wait! Things doesn't have to end this way—"

"Since you didn't say 'no', I take it you're ready. Here goes."

For the final time, Bardock strengthened his grip on the Royal's shattered wrists, causing him to once again howl in excruciating discomfort. In utter desperation Vegeta pled to be released from his agony and he would even consider selling his soul to the Devil himself, but much to his horror the transformed Commoner said nothing in reply; instead, he chuckled in delight as he built up momentum to deal the finishing touch.

"Think, you demented failure of a man," Bardock hissed malevolently, "Think of my grandsons as you die slowly and painfully."

"Wh-what… are you—"

With that, he roared and flung Vegeta off the observation deck with relative ease. Even before he was pulled groundward by the tug of gravity, Bardock blasted an overwhelmingly powerful energy blast toward him. Confounded by the rapidly approaching wave, Vegeta didn't even have time to react; faster than the blink of an eye, he found himself hugging the interface between the wave and the air. His skin started to scorch and melt due to the sheer heat and his feature began to distort. Sure enough, his doom was coming very slowly and painfully, true to Bardock's promise.

"N-no! This… can't be happening!" Vegeta cried out with as much strength as he could gather, "I refuse… to be defeated by… a lowly Commoner! NO! THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE!"

"It's too bad you won't be able to apologise to my grandsons, because you're going to end up in another place. Everything ends now!" exclaimed Bardock loud enough for Vegeta to hear.

With one final surge, Bardock channelled his fury into his wave. It was almost unbelievable how for a short moment Vegeta was able to hold his ground, but the sheer output of power eventually overwhelmed him. Indeed, it was a miserable end for him, and he could only let out a bloodcurdling scream as the flare of energy finally consumed him and slowly reduced him into something between a cadaver and ashes, scorched beyond recognition.

Downstairs, Praetorians, Nobles, and Commoners alike had been following the battle on the observation deck. The earlier assault from the King turned out to be a blessing in disguise; it served as a testimonial which opened everyone's—especially the Praetorians'—eyes to the fact that Vegeta wouldn't hesitate doing away with them if he so desired, thanks to which their trust and faith of their King were irreparably smashed into tiny pieces. The belligerents had since formed a truce and focused to achieve a common goal which was to stay alive, and to do that they provided shelter and aid to one another in an attempt to save as many lives as possible.

In the middle of their work in providing relief to their fellow Saiyans, some of them saw a person being consumed by a blinding wave of energy high in the air. For a brief moment they were overcome with dread since it was too far away to see clearly, and they desperately hoped it wasn't Bardock who had just been killed. However, some of the Commoners whose scouters were still functional had started rejoicing; their eyepieces indicated that the King's power level was no longer undetectable.

The next second, it so happened that the maimed remains of the victim dropped at the middle of the castle baileys, surprising those who happened to be nearby. The obnoxious stench of burning flesh and unsightly condition of the body—it had been scorched to almost a crisp and there were several sites on the skin that had been lacerated, showing the bone—prevented anyone from getting near it.

One of the Praetorians finally manned up to examine the remains. On closer inspection, he learned that the body was clad in battle armour made of metal which had turned red and hot because of the heat, and even right now the organic matters—or rather what was left of them—covered underneath was still sizzling in a very revolting manner. On the armour were two hook-like protrusions that previously served as attachment points to a cape of some sort, which had been vaporised in the blast. The one thing which was a dead giveaway, however, was the crest on the battle armour; there was no denying the shape of the crest was very familiar since its design was incorporated into almost everything in and around the castle, ranging from the signs on the gates to the cutleries.

It was unmistakeable. The crest represented a family which had ceased to exist.

"This is…" the Praetorian stuttered in what seemed to be a very peculiar mix between fear and joy, "… King Vegeta. The King has died."

Thus, marked with triumphant cheers of people, ended the short but nightmarish regime of the warped tyrant.

* * *

The rain had started to fall when Bardock's transformation expired. He was still completely at loss about what it was that he had just gone through, which meant his ascension into his enhanced form was still a gimmick at this point. He knew, though, during the course of his transformation his power and speed was increased more than tenfold; despite being consumed in pure anger and sorrow, he still had control over his thoughts and was able to perceive his surroundings. If only he could find the secrets to and harness the full power of that transformation,

But would being the world's strongest make a difference when his life, or what was left of it, was taken away from him?

Limping due to exhaustion, he walked over toward the gap on the walkway which Vegeta had made earlier with his blast. For a minute he just stood there in silence—the only sounds he could hear were shouts of joy from downstairs, that of the falling rain, as well as the occasional gentle rumbles of thunder in the distance—not knowing what to do next or where to go. He felt deeply miserable, and the thought about being the last surviving member of his bloodline didn't help ease the burden even the slightest bit.

The longer he stayed in his psychotic state, the more relentless the thoughts of his beloved grandsons thrashed his mind, bringing him deep into the indulgences of sweet memories. He remembered about how life had been for him after Kakarot and Chichi's untimely passing; that time he was very close to giving up his life as a Commoner, but the presence of Gohan and Goten had rendered it impossible. And that was when his life took a drastic turn of events.

Ever since taking those two boys under his wing, he felt something changing deep down inside. He was no longer the brash, bold warrior whom he had been in the past. Thanks to them, although he wouldn't admit it in the open and would only exhibit it in his own way, he renounced his old ways and started to embrace a more gentle and affectionate style in order to be a more respectable as well as admirable father figure to his grandsons who at that time were still little tykes.

Bardock remembered he hadn't felt this miserable when Kakarot passed away, and now he knew why. The answer was none other than love; he had abstained from showering his son with love since it was his will for him to mature into a steadfast warrior, free from the constraints of emotional attachments. That was why at first he objected to the idea of Kakarot choosing a tender, loving woman as his mate, but he knew it was for the better of things since both of them were stubborn about it and his bloodline had to continue.

However, when Gohan and Goten came into the picture, he was forced to assume a more supportive role than assertive toward the children. It was true that he would spend some time training his grandsons as he did his son, albeit with a drastically different method. To Kakarot he had been more like a boss he had always feared, but to the children, a leader whom they had always looked up to. Thanks to them, he had changed drastically and he had to admit it, but surely it was for the better for everyone.

But they were gone. The people for whom he had been living his life were no longer with him.

In just one day, his life had been shattered—not only once, but twice. Helpless, broken, and blaming himself for having failed to protect his grandsons, Bardock fell on his knees and pounded the cement flooring several times until cracks started to form. It took him absolutely his all to keep his tears at bay, but he found it hard to restrain his sobs and broke down nonetheless as memories of his grandsons ran wild in his mind. They once said they were proud of him, as proud as he was of them, but it was a thing of the past and he would never be able to hear his voice again.

"… gramps!"

Indeed, that very voice. The voice which was lost in time and space, the voice of one of his grandsons whose life was taken just moments ago…

… or was it?

When Bardock lifted up his head, he saw a very familiar figure struggling to free himself of a huge chunk of debris pinning his leg against the walkway, his obsidian eyes urgently urging him to come to his aid. He couldn't believe his eyes, but there was no mistaking it; despite the fact that he definitely wasn't alright, Gohan was still in the land of the living. Bardock did a double take to see if his mind was playing some kind of a cruel trick on him, but no.

He was still alive.

"Gramps, help! Over here!" Gohan pleaded. The urgency present in his voice was unmistakeable.

As much as Bardock wanted to embrace Gohan, he had to entertain his request and he somehow knew he needed to act fast. With one huge leap he cleared the rather wide gap on the walkway and approached the boy. Although it didn't look like it, he was in so much pain; although Bardock was exhausted beyond belief thanks to his transformation earlier, he managed to push aside the block of cement, and how surprised he was when he saw a battered and bloodied limb underneath. No doubt, Gohan's leg was broken and it needed to be tended to.

However, when he lifted Gohan and was about to carry him downstairs, the younger Saiyan stopped him from doing so and asked to be put down. At first Bardock refused to do so since getting Gohan to the sickbay was of the utmost importance, but at the latter's insistence he finally yielded, albeit reluctantly. It was almost heartrending to see his grandson in so much pain as he limped forward, leaving a trail of blood from his open wounds.

"What are you doing? Stop fooling around! That leg's got to be taken care of!" Bardock growled.

"Help me, gramps," Gohan finally said when he knelt by a rather enormous pile of rubble. Before Vegeta blasted it into bits, it had been a canopy of some sort with the purpose of providing shelter. "It's Fasha… she's trapped."

At the mention of his comrade's name, the grownup immediately sprang up into action, completely forgetting his belief earlier that Gohan was in desperate need of help. Despite his severe wound, the boy would survive, but it was too early to assume the same applied to Fasha. Bardock, whose scouter was still in one piece and working properly, checked for signs of life and sure enough, his eyepiece picked up a reading of power level very near to where they were—faint, but it was there nonetheless.

Drawing the last bit of his strength and helped by Gohan, Bardock cleared the rubble, intent on getting Fasha out of there as quickly as possible. They started digging, getting deeper and deeper into the pile by the second, and after a while they finally struck oil. There, lying totally helpless but still bravely clinging to life, was the gentle warrioress. Bardock was about to let a relieved sigh for finding her still alive, but he soon found himself cringing in shock.

Fasha's condition was miserable, so bad to the point it dwarfed the seriousness of that of Gohan. The latter should have been thankful since a broken leg was all he had to worry about; she, on the other hand, had numerous abrasions and bruises as well as cuts from which blood leaked profusely, and of course it wasn't all. Having been pinned under a heavy mass of debris, she almost suffocated due to lack of air and suffered from multiple rib fractures. Her lower limbs were crushed to the point she couldn't even feel them anymore, which was an indication of damaged nerves. What disturbed Bardock and Gohan the most, however, was a gash across her face; despite that, her graceful beauty wasn't in any way marred and she still looked as fair as ever, thanks to her strong spirit.

"Oh my gosh… Fasha, hang in there!" exclaimed Gohan as his grandfather extracted her from underneath the rubble.

"Gohan… Bardock? You're… alive…" said Fasha, her voice as soft as a whisper.

Bardock was struggling to keep his calm. Besides, he knew freaking out would only render the situation much worse than how it was now. "Darn it… that cursed man! How dare he did that to his own soldier!"

"He… do you mean Vegeta?" Fasha's eyes widened. Curious to know what had become of him, she momentarily forgot about her pain and became agitated. "Where is he? What happened… to him?"

"Calm down, Fasha," replied Gohan, "Grandpa… he's taken care of him. Everything's over… and there's nothing to worry about now."

Hearing the reply, the female Saiyan returned to her relaxed state. She was glad beyond belief that Bardock had avenged the deaths of Goten, Trunks, and the Queen, and that the raid hadn't been in vain. When she stole a glance downstairs, she could see people rejoicing—Nobles and Commoners alike—although she also saw some Praetorians standing idly on the spot, probably unsure of what to do next since they had just lost their ruler.

However, she knew the doubt and confusion would soon be washed away. Every single person in the Kingdom had already learned the truth about Vegeta's true face; the fact that they had demonstrated against him, challenged his kingship, and gone as far as helping Bardock in the coup just testified how strongly they objected the late King's rule. The dawning of a new era was imminent, and she was surer than anyone else whoever would step up to the plate and succeed Vegeta as the new ruler would bring the Saiyan Kingdom back to its former glory.

Fasha's train of thought was broken by Bardock's urge to leave. "That's enough. I have to get you two downstairs, so let's get moving!" he said while heaving her to his back. He then approached Gohan and helped him return to his feet and supported him as he took small steps forward. "There you go… slowly, boy! I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"It's okay, Bardock… you don't need to concern yourself about me," said Fasha. Afraid that she might be slowing him down to seek help for Gohan, she persuaded him to just leave without her.

"Stop with your nonsense, Fasha! You're badly wounded! What makes you think I'm going to just leave you here?"

"Don't worry about me… go now and leave me. I'll just… slow you down. Besides, now that you've avenged Her Majesty and His Highness… and Goten, too… my life is complete."

"What the heck are you talking about? Now be quiet, I'm taking you to the sickbay whether you like it or not! You'll survive… and don't you dare doubting it…"

"Gohan needs your help more than I do. He's just—"

"Listen to me carefully," Bardock cut Fasha mid-sentence, but in a rather soft manner, "This is a chance for me to redeem myself. You know I've failed in protecting Goten… but I won't repeat the same mistake. You're going to be alright, Fasha, and you too, Gohan."

"Bardock…"

"I don't know how or if I still have the strength to do it, but from now on I won't let anyone or anything harm you two ever again… not on my watch. That I promise."

At this point Gohan was on the verge of tears. This was the first time he saw his grandfather openly revealed his soft side to anyone else, even to him. Never before in his life had he seen or heard Bardock like this; the change of the way he thought about his family members might have been caused by Goten being not around anymore and the fact that he almost lost his other grandson. It showed how deeply the grownup cared about those he held dear in his heart, and it made Gohan look up to him and admire him even more.

"Thank you… Bardock. I'm glad I can fight again… although not alongside you," Fasha produced a sincere smile, the radiance and genuineness of which bypassed her pain.

"Don't mention it, Fasha. You and Gohan have fought for me, too…" said Bardock. He paused for a while before continuing, grateful of what said people had gone through in order to help him exact his revenge. "… and let me just tell you that you've done a very good job. You deserve to live to tell about it."

Now that Fasha was in good hands, she could finally relax and free herself from the worries that had been plaguing her since earlier today. As she was taken downstairs, she mentioned about how lovely it was to fight for the people she deeply cared about, namely the Queen and the Prince, and hoped that they saw what she had done for them. In addition, she also admitted she was eternally indebted to Goten; thanks to the friendship and almost brotherly bond the child had formed with Trunks, she had been allowed to re-establish contact with Bardock and rekindle their camaraderie, although they could only fight together for a common cause for a very short period of time.

"Goten… is a blessing, Bardock. You know that, right?" she said between her breaths.

"You have no idea, Fasha. He's more than a blessing…" replied Bardock, "He's a gift from heaven… and the best one yet for me. I'm sure his brother over here agrees with me. Right, boy?" he asked Gohan, gaining a nod of approval from the boy.

Fasha exhaled contentedly, knowing Goten would live on in his grandfather's and brother's hearts. She said to them to always cherish the memories they had of him just like she would with those she had of Bulma and Trunks, to which Gohan promised he would and stated that he would never be able to forget him. Then, after saying a word of gratitude to both Bardock and Gohan with a tender smile, she passed out from sheer exhaustion and her wounds.

Panic-stricken, Gohan urged his grandfather to just let go of him and rush to the sickbay. "If you don't hurry, she's… I don't wanna think of what's gonna happen. Leave me here, gramps! I can make it on my own!"

Bardock, however, acted the contrary. He was made even more determined to get her to safety and increase her chances of survival. "Don't worry, boy. She's just resting. I've promised to protect you always… and I'm not about to go back on my own words. Or are you telling me you don't believe me?" he asked, his tone of voice teasingly accusing.

"W-what? I didn't… of course I believe you!" Gohan rebutted. There was no way his faith in his grandfather could be broken.

"Then stop whining and let me do this my way," he said again, earning him an 'okay' from his grandson. Then, eyes locked ahead in pure determination, Bardock whispered resolutely, "Hang in there, Fasha. I said you're going to live, and you'd better mark my words."

* * *

"Son Goten… was everything to me."

It was a lovely evening at the beach just beyond the frontiers of the Kingdom, and even more so had the mood been cheerful.

The sun had begun to set, creating a vibrant scene in the distance with brilliant hues of red, orange, yellow, and blue, which looked like as though someone had smeared oil paint all across the sky. Numerous people were seated on benches, their attention fully fixed onto a teenage boy—he was neatly clad in black elegant suit—giving a speech on a podium by the water. He wasn't alone up there; to his right was a battle-scarred gentleman and to his left, a wheelchair-bound lady, both seemed to be in a similar state of mourning.

By the raised platform were two tiny but beautiful caskets. Four gold-coloured arms extended from each of them, and at the end of each arm was a large cork of some sort, enabling them to float on the water despite their weight. Two Praetorians stood guard nearby, one by each casket, carrying with them long staves on whose tips flames danced, emanating a gentle glow and dispelling the dark which was slowly creeping in.

And that was how the state funeral of Goten and Trunks looked like.

"My brother may have meant something to each and every one of you, and some of you may not know him… but to me, he was an angel," Gohan began his eulogy although he was struggling in vain to overcome his debilitating sadness, "He could be very shy and reserved boy around people he didn't know, but sometimes he would overcome those traits especially if he had set his eyes on something."

"Yeah, for those who know him it might sound very unlikely, but let me tell you a story. I remembered there was this one time when we were walking to a friend's house to sell my statuettes. I got robbed and had my stuff taken, and Goten gave no second thought and straightaway chased the thief. You know what happened next?"

The crowd responded with shakes of head, so Gohan continued, "Well, he got the statuettes back without any injury. I didn't know how he did that, but when we continued walking down the road, people were crowding around a trash bin. It sounds crazy, but inside that bin was the thief! He was unconscious and when they pulled him out, boy, did he smell really bad." At this point the crowd couldn't resist laughing, and the boy smiled at the hilarious moment now lost in the distant past. "When I asked Goten if he'd done that, he got really embarrassed, admitted that he had, and apologised."

"Yeah, my brother was such a character. Sometimes he could be one heck of a rollercoaster of emotions, but he knew when to be serious and when to joke around—well, half of the time, not always. He could be very, very immature at times, but that's just because he was still a little tyke. That said, he was the only person I could confide in… I could talk to him about anything because he was never one to judge."

"I know Goten left lots of things undone and others he never had the chance to start… but I promise I'll continue what he'd started and hopefully fulfil his dreams for him. This is just my small way of saying thanks to him for being someone who was always there for me. It sounds kinda strange, alright, but believe it or not, I've learned so many things from Goten who was ten years younger than me."

"When Goten was little, there was this one song he liked very much, and if he were here… I think he still does. Every time before I took him to bed, he always asked me to hum the tone, and he would fall asleep very quickly. When he was sad, I would also sing it to him, and he became cheerful again after hearing it. I've done some reading about this song, and it's said it bears the message of global peace, equality, and brotherhood."

Gohan reached into his shirt pocket for his music player, browsed through the library, and finally found what he was looking for. After tapping on the 'play' symbol, he brought the speaker close to his new scouter so the song could be transmitted for the audience to hear.

Just seconds later, the intro started to play and a very familiar tune could be heard from every single scouter. The tempo was very slow, perhaps as slow as Gohan's rendition whenever he hummed it every night until five years ago, and a great number of people began to relax upon hearing the tune. The teenager could see some people produce sadly sweet smiles, and with that music box-like instrument and lullaby-like pace, a few of them just couldn't resist tearing up.

Right before the words were sung, Gohan looked up at the sky and his tears flowed uncontrollably. With faith that his words would transcend space and time all the way to the Other World, he whispered, "This song is for you, little brother…"

_It's a world of laughter, a world of tears  
__It's a world of hopes and a world of fears  
__There is so much we share that it's time we're aware:  
__It's a small world after all_

_There is just one moon and one golden sun  
__And a smile means friendship to everyone  
__Though the mountains divide and the ocean is wide  
__It's a small world after all_

The song looped for one more time. When it finally ended in a very sweet way, Gohan said the final words of his eulogy. "Let's just be thankful for the special moments Goten had left us. And finally, I hope he'll continue to live on in our hearts and minds."

With that, the crowd gave a soft round applause which sounded very much like a gentle rain. After the applause had died down, Gohan stepped down carefully—his right leg was in a cast and he couldn't walk without the aid of his crutches—and he made his way to Trunks's and Goten's caskets. He was followed by four other people: Bardock, a Commoner, a Noble, and the wheelchair-bound Fasha, who had given her eulogy for Trunks before Gohan did for his little brother.

Once the five of them assumed their position in front of the caskets, they raised their right hand and at Bardock's command fired three successive energy blasts high into the sky in unison. That served as a cue for the Praetorians; Gohan couldn't bear seeing them setting the caskets on fire with their torches, and was about to burst in tears as Goten and Trunks were set off to the vast oceans, never to be seen again until he made his journey over to the Other World.

He was still deep in his thought, watching the caskets drift into the distance, when Bardock approached him and put his hand on his shoulder. "Be strong for your brother, boy. That's all you need to do right now."

"… I don't understand, gramps. I'm supposed to go first, so why?" asked Gohan as though questioning the way life had dealt him cards to play.

"Life's unfair, you have to admit that," replied Bardock sympathetically. He knew what he was talking about since before this, he too had to go through the grief over losing his own son. "But there's nothing we can do about it. What's done is done, and if you dwell in the past, you won't be able to move on."

"But I don't wanna forget him."

"Listen to me, boy. Moving on isn't the same as forgetting. Besides, I doubt you can forget about him. That rascal's done too much to be forgotten that easily…" Bardock gave a smile, and it eased Gohan a bit and warmed his heart, "Believe me. It's hard, I know, but you'll adjust to it eventually. Denying it won't make any difference, so you just have to be strong. Can you do it?"

Silence followed. In this period of calm, Gohan's mind travelled down the memory lane, recalling the times he had spent together with Goten. A drop of tear found its way out of his eye, and he finally lifted his head and said decidedly, "I can, and I will."

"Good. Live up to your own words you've said in the speech. Now let's return to the tent, they're waiting for you."

The boy nodded and followed his grandfather back to the sheltered area on the shore. Just as he turned around, a gentle breeze picked up, carrying with it a soft, cheerful laughter as well as a whisper which was almost lost in the sound of the breaking waves.

"_Don't forget me, big brother…_" said the voice.

Gohan turned his head to the horizon and again a drop of tear ran down his cheeks; it was a tear of relief. Then, images of his little brother smiling and laughing started to manifest in his mind and succeeded in making him crack a smile. Those were the only things Gohan needed to know, and to say the least, he was glad.

Looking up to the heavens and believing his words would transcend the confines of space and time of his dimension all the way to the Other World, Gohan answered Goten's whisper. "I wouldn't Goten…" he said, a smile still pasted to his face, "… because I couldn't. But I'll move on and be strong for you."


	16. Brave New World

_Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball / Dragonball Z / Dragonball GT._

_Have a good read._

* * *

"… and that's the story of our heroes."

"Wowee, they're awesome! I wanna be as cool as them! Do you think I can?"

"Of course you can. That's why you have to study and train hard."

"Yeah! That way, I can get strong and smart and I'll kick anyone who gets in my way!"

It was a fair early morning with a kind of weather people wouldn't simply pass up.

Since it was Saturday, people from all over quickly flocked to the central park in order to enjoy their morning stroll. This particular lady and her little son were among those people; they, just like the others, had made it a routine to always spend some time in the morning walking around the park to enjoy the fresh morning air as well as the beautiful scenery. The fact that it was now springtime made it all the better since trees and flowers everywhere could be seen blooming, giving rise to a colourful landscape.

The lady, clad in a casual—and yet regal-looking at the same time—led her son to a relatively huge stone sculpture of two young boys standing beside each other, hand-in-hand. Right by it was a white pedestal on which information about the importance of the sculpture was inscribed. His interest piqued, the son exerted his best effort to climb up the pedestal, but to no avail; he was simply too tiny to reach the top.

"Mommy, gimme a boost! I wanna see what's on it," he pouted in irritation.

Seeing this, the mother let out a small chuckle and lifted her son up on her shoulders. Now feeling happy for being able to read the rather lengthy inscription, the little tyke began reciting the sentences out loud; however, being a six-year-old, his reading skill wasn't impeccable and there were quite a number of words he had yet understood. Whenever he encountered difficult words, his mother would patiently explain what they meant.

This adorable sight elicited coos from many people who happened to be nearby, to which the lady responded with a tender smile. The passers-by felt very honoured to be greeted by her and they bowed—some even genuflected—in reverence despite her insistence not to. She found this situation rather uncomfortable and was actually starting to feel uneasy.

Fortunately for her, she was spared from further awkwardness by a familiar figure walking toward her. The crowd, as though fully aware of what they had to do, made way for the teenager as he approached the mother. Then, after saluting her by placing his right fist over his heart, he said, "Good morning, Princess Pan."

"Hi, Chicory! Morning!" exclaimed the little boy. He leapt off his mother's shoulders and immediately latched onto the newcomer's leg.

"Good morning to you too, little Prince. How are you feeling today?" the teenage boy, whose name was Chicory, affectionately ruffled the boy's spiky hair, gaining his mother's as well as the passers-by's smile.

The boy, while reaching out to Chicory's hands, pumped one of his fists in excitement. "I'm great! Hee-hee! Mommy just told me a story about my granduncle and his friend. They're so cool! I wish I could meet them."

"Why, they sure are. Along with His Majesty and your late great-great-grandfather, they're the heroes of the Saiyan race, how could they not be cool, as you put it?" replied Chicory. He then lifted the kid Prince above his head and started swinging him around like an airplane. "And that's a veritable fact known to people from all across the Kingdom. Your mother named you after your granduncle so that you may grow into a strong and great person like him."

"What's 'veritable'? Is that something you eat?"

Chicory found it difficult not to chuckle at the boy's innocent inquiry. "No, no! That's 'vegetable'. 'Veritable' means—"

He was cut mid-sentence by Pan who managed to get his attention by clearing her throat. Looking embarrassed for having forgotten his intent even though only for a moment, he put the Prince—who in record time reassumed a comfortable position in his mother's embrace—down and saluted the Princess once again.

"I know you enjoy playing with Goten, but that's not the main reason you're here, right?" asked Pan, her tone of speaking playful and very casual.

"Of course not, Your Highness," replied Chicory, "His Majesty… King Gohan, is looking for you."

Pan looked genuinely surprised. "Oh yeah… it's breakfast time. But it looks like Goten still wants to be here…" she said. After a few seconds of thinking and weighing the pros and cons of her decision, she finally voiced out her opinion. "Oh well. I guess there's no harm in hanging around for a little while. I'll be there in… uh, twenty minutes, okay? I'm sure dad will understand."

Chicory acknowledged Pan's orders by nodding firmly. He then turned to Goten whose grin was still wide as ever. "Now, I have an errand to do, little Prince, so I suppose I'll see you again this afternoon for your martial arts training after you are done with your studies. After that, we still need to perfect your Super Saiyan transformation, too," Chicory elaborated Goten's schedule for the day one by one, to which the latter acknowledged by nodding fervently. However, when he was about to leave, something caught his attention, so he kindly pointed it out. "One more thing before I leave, though. Please be mindful of your tail. Do you remember what you have to do with it?"

Goten wagged his tail for a moment, then rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly upon realising what his aide was talking about. "Oops… sorry! I'll be more careful! Hee-hee," he said as he wrapped his tail around his waist.

"Yes, that's the way. It prevents someone from hurting it or chopping it off. You don't want it to happen, do you?"

"Uh… no way! That's scary!"

"Very good. Always be vigilant, and you'll be a strong warrior in no time," said Chicory as he again ruffled Goten's spiky mess of hair. He then turned to Pan and formally asked for permission to be excused.

Not being a huge fan of the uncomfortable and unnatural manner of how people should have interacted with Royals, Pan urged him to drop the tenseness. "Aw, stop being so stiff already," she shrugged. Suddenly an idea crossed her mind; with a rather mischievous smile pasted to her face, she whispered in a covert manner, "You know what, forget about dad for a while. Why don't you accompany us in our morning walk? I'm sure Goten wouldn't mind, right, sweetie?"

"Yay, alright! Chicory's gonna join us! You're awesome!" Goten concurred. The joy in his voice was unmistakeable.

"B-but, Your Highness, as much as I'd like to, I can't do that!" answered Chicory, "I'm just an aide and I'm not supposed to interfere with your activities, so I mustn't—"

Again Pan interjected the aide. "'Just'? After all you've done in being Goten's caregiver and teacher? You know, you're the closest thing to a brother Goten has ever had, although you two are thirteen years apart," she argued, "That said… I'm the Princess, and if you want an order, this is it. Come with us! You need to have fun too, you know."

"But what about—"

"Nah, just relax. I'll cover you later, don't worry."

Without waiting for further response, Goten seized the aide by the hand and yanked him away from his mother. "C'mon, Chicory, follow me! Lemme show you where my favourite lizard usually hides!" exclaimed the little Saiyan in sheer excitement.

Seeing the camaraderie and almost brotherly bond displayed between Goten and Chicory, Pan couldn't resist smiling as she recalled everything her father had told her about how difficult it was to live in the past. She considered herself very fortunate to be able to enjoy the privileges of living in a utopia of justice. In this post-war peace period people—regardless of their class—were able to live alongside each other and interact freely, and it was unlike anything the past had ever seen, and how she was glad beyond belief that her only and much beloved son didn't have to go through that period of hardship which was now referred to as the Schism Ages.

All in all, equality had made living a whole lot easier for virtually everybody in the Kingdom, and no one was exempted…

… and it was all thanks to her granduncle, Son Goten, and his friend, Trunks Brief, whose passing more than fifty years ago had transformed their Kingdom into a better place to live.

Pan lifted her head to behold the grandeur of the sculpture before her and produced a weak smile. The sculpture was a work of art—a magnum opus, one might say—crafted a long time ago by two talented members of the Royal Family, and it so perfectly and beautifully displayed life-sized replicas of Goten and Trunks walking side by side and sporting sincere smiles on their face.

"If only you were still here, Uncle Goten, Trunks…" with hopes that the two prodigious boys she never had the chance to meet would hear her words, Pan whispered silently to the clouds, "Everybody's speaking about how great you are. They're always talking about your courage, determination, faith, and friendship. Really, how I wish I could've met you and learned a thing or two from you… and that Goten could've met you, too…"

"… our heroes."

* * *

Even centuries later, after countless reigns under different Kings, the sculpture still stood gallantly at the centre of the ring-shaped park which had long replaced the city walls as the border between the historical districts of the Kingdom that were now one: the city and the town.

This held true despite the fact that the Saiyan Kingdom had turned into a technologically advanced capital of the world; the park, now known as Remembrance Park, was one of the few protected places within the Kingdom's boundaries. People, as well as members of the Parliament themselves, had exerted unholy amount of effort to preserve the park at all costs and the sculpture along with it. As a result, the varying shades of green of grass and trees provided a comfortable and welcome respite for tired eyes after or during a hard day's work, as well as proof that nature and technology—represented by skyscrapers and solar panels which also doubled as roads—could coexist.

Being intended to serve as a memento of a turning over of a new page of their history, the sculpture never failed to remind every single soul who happened to cast a glance on it of Goten and Trunks's noble sacrifice so that everyone could live in harmony with each other. Surely their spirits would dwell in the hearts of people and encourage them to cherish the life of equality they now enjoyed.

As though oblivious of Mother Nature's attempts to erode them and render them unintelligible, these powerful words were inscribed on the white pedestal right by the side of the sculpture:

_ANTITHESIS  
__A sculpture by Prince Son Gohan and Lady Videl Satan  
11 October, Age 775_

_This sculpture serves to honour two revolutionaries who were the best of friends, and was officially sanctioned by King Bardock on __the first Day of Remembrance, __18 October, Age 775, at the rising of the sun._

_On this spot was ended the journey of lives of Prince Trunks Brief, a Royal, and Prince Son Goten, a Commoner who was posthumously granted the status of a Royal with the ascension of King Bardock, his grandfather, to the throne._

_Deemed traitors, they were convicted of interacting with each other. In the olden days, cross-class interactions without the supervision of at least one Praetorian were considered taboo and were punishable by exile or death for this particular case._

_Prince Trunks, then eight, and Prince Goten, then seven, were executed just as the sun rose on 18 October, Age 774 by King Vegeta, the former's father, himself. This event triggered a revolution now widely known as The Great Uprising. Led by King Bardock, then a Commoner, a great number of Nobles and Commoners who were enraged at King Vegeta's highly controversial decision stormed the castle compound on the very same day as the Princes' execution._

_Although many other lives were lost, King Bardock succeeded in usurping the throne from his predecessor and was crowned the day after. In just a few months under his reign, the Saiyan Kingdom underwent numerous major changes for the better, the most notable being the abolition of the restriction on cross-class interactions. Slowly but surely, friendship and trust began to form across the whole Saiyan race and brought about positive impacts on economic, political, and sociological systems alike. _

_Prince Trunks and Prince Goten's spirits will continue to dwell in our hearts today, for because of them, we now know interactions between classes, when done correctly and responsibly, could only result in peace and harmony._

_May the souls of our Princes rest in peace, and may they be able to see their endeavours have borne much fruit._

_Thank you, Prince Trunks and Prince Goten._


End file.
